Preparation and permeation recognition mechanism of Cr(vi) ion-imprinted composite membranes

Abstract The Cr( vi ) ion-imprinted composite membranes (Cr( vi )-IICMs) were prepared by using the surface imprinting method. The template ion was Cr( vi ), the functional monomer was 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP), and the nylon filter membrane (nylon-6) was the support membrane. Non-imprinted composite membranes (NICMs) were prepared under the same conditions as the corresponding Cr( vi )-IICM. The adsorption effect of the imprinted membrane can reach 2.4 times that of the corresponding non-imprinted membrane. Meanwhile, the adsorption quantity of Cr( vi )-IICM was 34.60 μmol·g −1 . The physical characteristics of membranes were confirmed by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and scanning electron microscopy. Inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry was used to analyze their adsorption properties and permeation selectivity. Cr( vi )-IICM and NICM were both mesoporous materials from the structural characterization and performance test results. Their adsorption behavior conformed to the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model. The permeation recognition mechanism of Cr( vi )-IICM was the Piletsky’s gate model. The IICM still has excellent permeability selectivity to Cr( vi ) in the presence of competitive ions. The results provided a reference for the isolation and enrichment of Cr( vi ).