Project

Long-term stable organosilica nanofibrous membranes functionalised for advanced engineering applications

Code
3S009618
Duration
01 January 2018 → 09 September 2022
Funding
Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
Research disciplines
No data available
Keywords
nanofibrous membranes
 
Project description

Nanofibres are fibres with a diameter that is 1000 times smaller than a human hair. This makes
nanofibrous membranes very light and porous, ideally suited for advanced engineering
applications in various sectors. By adding a specific functionality (for example hydrophobic groups,
amines, thiol functions), the application field can even be extended. However, the material choice
and design are crucial for optimal performance. Therefore, several bridged organosilanes, hybrid
structures with organic and inorganic moieties, will be studied as an alternative starting product to
make such nanofibrous membranes within this project. They allow for highly flexible materials
with superior chemical and thermal stability for which, moreover, the hydrophobicity can be
tuned. These functionalised nanofibers will be processed from water and ethanol, which is
ecologically more friendly than most current nanofiber and membrane production techniques.
Applications in the field of water purification and chemical conversion are targeted. These
applications require long-term stable materials and make use of the large specific surface area,
high porosity and/or large pores of the nanofibrous membranes to target more efficient processes.