Major application of hybrid nanocomposites in membrane reactors

5 Major application of hybrid nanocomposites in membrane reactors 

The term membrane reactors is used to refer to devices in which two distinct events - a chemical reaction and a separation process - take place in a single stage. When biological events control the conversion and separation process, the system is called a membrane bioreactor . 

Nanocomposite membranes have practical applications in many fields of membrane reactor technology, including chemicals (Ozdemir et al., 2006), food and environmental safety (Lewis et al., 2011), biomedical (Hule and Pochan, 2007) and renewable power (Lakshminarayana and Nogami, 2009). Here, we illustrate a few recent applications of nanocomposite membranes in the areas of chemistry, biotechnology and energy. 

In catalysis, the immobilization and heterogenization of catalytic nano-compounds on a solid support facilitates the access of reactants to the catalytic sites, prevents aggregation and allows recovery and reuse, as well as prolonging the life of the catalyst. Depending on the specific type of process, the reaction can occur in gas or in liquid phase. Table 5.2 summarizes the various interesting types of applications that use hybrid catalytic nanocomposite membranes for conversion and separation of chemical compounds in a single stage (Ozdemir et al, 2006 Biswas et al, 2011 Domenech et al, 2011). 

Recently, the combination of the oxidative activity of nanoparticles with the catalytic activity of one enzyme in stacked membrane reactors has been successfully proposed for use in water purification (Lewis et al, 2011). 

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