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<p>The development of cellulose triacetate (CTA)-based reverse osmosis membranes offers a sustainable approach to alleviating the global freshwater crisis, yet overcoming the inherent permeability–selectivity trade-off remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a homologous matching strategy to address the trade-off by incorporating carbon dots (M-CDs) derived from m-phenylenediamine (MPD) into the interfacial polymerization process between CTA and polyamide (PA). Systematic characterization and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that M-CDs, which are structurally analogous to the MPD monomer, promote monomer diffusion, regulate cross-linking density, and refine the microstructure of the PA layer. At an optimal M-CDs concentration, the resulting membrane achieves simultaneous enhancements in both salt rejection (99.1% vs. 96.5%) and water flux (18.3 vs. 15.2 L·m<sup>-2</sup>·h<sup>-1</sup>), thus surpassing conventional CTA membranes. The incorporation of M-CDs results in a thinner, denser, and more hydrophilic barrier layer with reduced pore size and narrowed distribution, as confirmed by post-annealing structural analysis. Moreover, hydrogen bonding between M-CDs and MPD improves chlorine resistance, maintaining high performance even after exposure to 2000 ppm NaClO solution. Molecular dynamics further illustrate that M-CDs promote water cluster transport while hindering ion penetration, thereby effectively mitigating the trade-off. The innovative use of homologous carbon dots to optimize the CTA–PA interface through structural matching, offering inspiring avenues for developing advanced bio-derived desalination technologies.</p>

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Overcoming the trade-off in reverse osmosis membranes through homologous matching

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月3日

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  • Xinyu Shao,
  • Shiyu Lv,
  • Xiang Qin,
  • Fangchao Cheng,
  • Dongying Hu,
  • Yiqiang Wu,
  • Xiaofei Xu,
  • Shuangliang Zhao

摘要

The development of cellulose triacetate (CTA)-based reverse osmosis membranes offers a sustainable approach to alleviating the global freshwater crisis, yet overcoming the inherent permeability–selectivity trade-off remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a homologous matching strategy to address the trade-off by incorporating carbon dots (M-CDs) derived from m-phenylenediamine (MPD) into the interfacial polymerization process between CTA and polyamide (PA). Systematic characterization and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that M-CDs, which are structurally analogous to the MPD monomer, promote monomer diffusion, regulate cross-linking density, and refine the microstructure of the PA layer. At an optimal M-CDs concentration, the resulting membrane achieves simultaneous enhancements in both salt rejection (99.1% vs. 96.5%) and water flux (18.3 vs. 15.2 L·m-2·h-1), thus surpassing conventional CTA membranes. The incorporation of M-CDs results in a thinner, denser, and more hydrophilic barrier layer with reduced pore size and narrowed distribution, as confirmed by post-annealing structural analysis. Moreover, hydrogen bonding between M-CDs and MPD improves chlorine resistance, maintaining high performance even after exposure to 2000 ppm NaClO solution. Molecular dynamics further illustrate that M-CDs promote water cluster transport while hindering ion penetration, thereby effectively mitigating the trade-off. The innovative use of homologous carbon dots to optimize the CTA–PA interface through structural matching, offering inspiring avenues for developing advanced bio-derived desalination technologies.