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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Chem.
Sec. Green and Sustainable Chemistry
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1498279
This article is part of the Research Topic Renewable Chemistry View all articles

Sustainable Nanomaterials: The Role of Cyrene in Optimising Carbon Nanotubes Dispersion and Filtration Efficiency

Provisionally accepted
Roxana Alina Milescu Roxana Alina Milescu 1*Con Robert McElroy Con Robert McElroy 2Edward J Taylor Edward J Taylor 2Paul M Williams Paul M Williams 3Richard Phillips Richard Phillips 4Thomas James Farmer Thomas James Farmer 5James H. Clark James H. Clark 1*
  • 1 Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
  • 2 University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England, United Kingdom
  • 3 Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
  • 4 Membranology Limited, Rainbow Business Centre, Llansamlet, Swansea, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
  • 5 University of York, York, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the fabrication and characterisation of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) buckypapers for the first time and polyethersulfone (PES) flat-sheet membranes using Cyrene, a bio-based and environmentally friendly solvent, as an alternative to N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Pristine SWCNTs were successfully dispersed in Cyrene without surfactants, achieving higher concentrations (0.038 mg mL⁻¹) compared to NMP (0.013 mg mL⁻¹). TEM analysis demonstrated that Cyrene effectively debundles SWCNTs, achieving better dispersion than NMP. The resulting buckypapers exhibited dense, uniform SWCNT networks with enhanced surface smoothness when fabricated using Cyrene. These materials showed promising performance in wastewater treatment and oil-water separation applications. PES flat-sheet membranes incorporating SWCNTs were also produced, with Cyrene-based membranes displaying distinct morphological characteristics, including well-organized finger-like structures and interconnected pores. PES membranes fabricated using Cyrene exhibited superior porosity, higher water permeability, and more organised pore structures compared to those made with NMP, with SWCNTs further enhancing performance. While bacterial challenge tests showed no significant antimicrobial activity, the membranes' versatility in various filtration ranges (nanofiltration to microfiltration) at lower operating pressures highlights their potential for diverse applications. This research demonstrates the viability of Cyrene as a sustainable alternative to traditional solvents in membrane and buckypaper fabrication, although further investigation of solvent residuals and safety considerations is warranted.

    Keywords: Cyrene, Carbon nanotubes, Nanofluid, nanocomposite, Buckypaper, Filtration membrane, sustainability, Renewable chemistry

    Received: 18 Sep 2024; Accepted: 26 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Milescu, McElroy, Taylor, Williams, Phillips, Farmer and Clark. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Roxana Alina Milescu, Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
    James H. Clark, Circa Renewable Chemistry Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom

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