All-Nanoporous fiber sorbent with a Non-Sacrificial polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) matrix

Microporous materials are highlighted with regard to low-energy and low-carbon adsorptive separation processes, where the interests have evolved simple microporous powders into a structured sorbent platform of fiber sorbent to tackle the technical challenges of large-scale applications. However, the challenge of sorption capacity loss in a limited footprint due to the addition of non-adsorbing binder materials still remained. Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are promising advanced materials for gas separation and capture due to their unique textural properties and processability. This article reports an efficient but straightforward blend of organic and inorganic materials, PIM-1 and zeolite NaY, forming “all-nanoporous” fiber sorbents. The combination of the two nanoporous materials resulted in a structured platform for a sorption-based separation system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is differentiated from other sorption platforms as it presents minimal volumetric sorption loss from the “binder” material by allowing the microporous substrate to work as a VOC sorbent. The “all-nanoporous” fiber sorbent of NaY/PIM-1 shows feasible sorption performance capabilities under both dry and humid conditions while maintaining a minimal pressure drop due to its hierarchical porous structure.