Nanocomposite membranes hybrid nanocomposites application

Cho EB, Kim H, Kim D (2009) Effect of morphology and pore size of sulfonated mesoporous benzene-silicas in the preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol)-based hybrid nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cell application. J Phys Chem B 113 9770-9778... 

Wang, Y.C., Fan, S.C., Lee, K.R. et al. 2004. Polyamide/SDS-clay hybrid nanocomposite membrane application to water-ethanol mixture pervaporation separation. 

The applications of polymer/metal oxide nanocomposites have been growing at a rapid rate. The advantages of incorporating metal oxide NPs into polymer matrices can lead to potential applications. These areas include photocatalysts, membranes for gas separation, sensors, and environmental and biomedical applications. Hence, nanocomposites are emerging as new materials that can provide opportunities and rewards, creating a new world of interest. The potential applications of polymer/ metal oxide hybrid nanocomposites are given in Table 2. 

This new series of books on sol-gel topics, with volumes on aerogels, sol-gel characterisation, hybrids, nanocomposites, sol-gel coatings for energy applications, and membranes currently in development, will be edited and written by top scientists in the field, and fits perfectly with the education and dissemination mission of the ISGS. The books will provide both novices and experts with new ideas and concepts on various aspects of sol-gel science and technology. They will also provide the sol-gel community with a solid foundation for exploring new, unchartered scientific territories in the 21st century. 

Abstract This chapter discusses nanocomposite membranes in relation to their use in membrane re actors. The concept of hybrid nanocomposites is explained, along with the advantages of using them as a challenging alternative to the organic and inorganic systems that are most frequently used. The chapter further analyses fabrication techniques and characterization methods, based on structure-property relationships. Finally, several important applications of nanocomposite membranes are discussed, in the fields of catalysis, biocatalysis and energy. 

Major application of hybrid nanocomposites in membrane reactors... 

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). 

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