LAUSR

Abstract Acidic functionalized polymer-MIL-101 composite membrane were considered as a promising material for the electrodialytic separation of targeted bi-valent metal ion from industrial waste water. Architectural strategy for these specific selective membrane was based on the presence of acidic functional groups (–SO3H) and coordinately unsaturated metal sites. In general, scalability and mechanical stability were the key limitations for MOF based membranes. But we report a simple preparation of flexible and mechanical stable MIL-101(Cr) composite membrane. In this method, MIL-101 was entrapped within hydrophilic pore/ion conducting channels of the sulphonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES) matrix by hydrophilic-hydrophilic interactions. Further, incorporation of MIL-101(Cr) within SPES matrix significantly improved the membrane’s properties. We adopted a simple approach enabling fine distribution of hydrophilic material within the pore of acidic functionalized polymer containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments. MIL-101 is expected to be confined responsible for the pore modification. Well optimized MIL-10 membrane showed good permselectivity for mono-valent (Na+) and bi-valent (Zn2+, and Ni2+) ions, while impervious nature for Pb2+. Further, simple preparation and cost-effective nature of SPES@MIL-101 membranes are the attractive feature for fabricating Pb2+ impervious membrane for its selective separation. Reported new class of membrane preparation protocols open a window for fabricating nano-channels for selective ion transport.