Ultrafast Synthesis of Silica-Based Molecular Sieve Membranes in Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Low Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society 2021-01, Vol.143 (1), p.35-40
• Main Authors: Nagasawa, Hiroki, Kagawa, Takahiko, Noborio, Takuji, Kanezashi, Masakoto, Ogata, Atsushi, Tsuru, Toshinori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c09433

Microporous silica membranes have shown promise as potential candidates for energy-efficient chemical separation. Herein, we report the ultrafast synthesis of silica membranes, on the order of minutes, in atmospheric-pressure, low-temperature plasma. Direct deposition in the discharge region of atmospheric-pressure plasma enables the immediate formation of a thin silica layer on a porous substrate. The plasma-deposited layer had a thickness of ∼13 nm and was confined to the immediate surface of the substrate. With an increase in deposition temperature, we observed an increase in the inorganic nature of the plasma-deposited layer and simultaneous improvement in the membrane performance. Consequently, the resulting membranes exhibited outstanding permeance for small-sized gas molecules, such as H (>10 mol m s Pa ), with a high H /SF permeance ratio of ∼6300, providing a nonthermal alternative for the fabrication of silica-based membranes.