Ion Resource Recovery via Electrodialysis Fabricated with Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone)‐Based Anion Exchange Membrane in Organic Solvent System

Abstract

AbstractIon resource recovery from organic wastewater is beneficial for achieving emission peaks and carbon neutrality targets. Advanced organic solvent‐resistant anion exchange membranes (AEMs) for treating organic wastewater via electrodialysis (ED) are of significant interest. Herein, a kind of 3D network AEM based on poly(arylene ether sulfone) cross‐linked with a flexible cross‐linker (DBH) for ion resource recovery via ED in organic solvent system is reported. Investigations demonstrate that the as‐prepared AEMs show excellent dimensional stability in 60% DMSO (aq.), 60% ethanol (aq.), and 60% acetone (aq.), respectively. For example, the optimized AEM shows very low swelling ratios of 1.04–1.10% in the organic solvents. ED desalination ratio can reach 99.1% after exposure of the AEM to organic solvents for 30 days, and remain > 99% in a mixture solution containing organic solvents and 0.5 m NaCl. Additionally, at a current density of 2.5 mA cm−2, the optimized AEM soaked in organic solvents for 30 days shows a high perm‐selectivity (Cl−/SO42−) of 133.09 (vs 13.11, Neosepta ACS). The superior ED performance is attributed to the stable continuous sub‐nanochannels within AEM confirmed by SAXS, rotational energy barriers, etc. This work shows the potential application of cross‐linked AEMs for resource recovery in organic wastewater.