title: A carbon nanotube wall membrane for water treatment.
abstract: Various forms of carbon nanotubes have been utilized in water treatment applications. The unique characteristics of carbon nanotubes, however, have not been fully exploited for such applications. Here we exploit the characteristics and corresponding attributes of carbon nanotubes to develop a millimetre-thick ultrafiltration membrane that can provide a water permeability that approaches 30,000 l m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1), compared with the best water permeability of 2,400 l m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1) reported for carbon nanotube membranes. The developed membrane consists only of vertically aligned carbon nanotube walls that provide 6-nm-wide inner pores and 7-nm-wide outer pores that form between the walls of the carbon nanotubes when the carbon nanotube forest is densified. The experimental results reveal that the permeance increases as the pore size decreases. The carbon nanotube walls of the membrane are observed to impede bacterial adhesion and resist biofilm formation.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byeongho
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Institute of Chemical Processes (ICP), Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youngbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Minwoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Hong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Institute of Chemical Processes (ICP), Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea [2] R &D Center, Soulbrain Co., Ltd, Singal-dong, Yongin-si, Geonggi-do 446-559, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hong H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Institute of Chemical Processes (ICP), Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hyup
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D002228:Carbenicillin / Q000737:chemistry; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004867:Equipment Design; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D016011:Normal Distribution; D010539:Permeability; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D014867:Water; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D002228:Carbenicillin