Preparation and characterization of Ti3C2TX MXene/PVDF cation exchange membrane for electrodialysis

MXene as a new member of 2D materials due to its metallic conductivity, rigid structure, hydrophilicity and functionalization has received extensive interests in the field of ion exchange membranes. Herein, different mass fractions of Ti 3 C 2 T X MXene were mixed into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) by blending method to obtain cation exchange membranes (CEMs), and the electrodialysis (ED) properties of these membranes were characterized to determine the possibility of their application. With the addition of MXene, the anti-fouling ability of the membrane was effectively improved and the membrane resistance was reduced, and the overall performance reached the best when the content of MXene was 3%wt. The ED process results showed that the modified CEMs can reduce the energy consumption and improve the mass transfer capacity, and 3%wt MXene/PVDF CEM had better performance than other prepared CEMs. Furthermore, the improvement of mechanical and thermal stability of these membranes were attributed to the formation of strong interaction between PVDF and MXene. The preparation strategy of MXene/PVDF CEMs provides basic information for the rational design of separation membrane with high comprehensive performance and opens up a good prospect for the application of MXene in the field of electrodialysis. • Ti 3 C 2 T X MXene/PVDF cation exchange membranes for electrodialysis were prepared • The addition of Ti 3 C 2 T X improves the hydrophilicity and pollution resistance of CEMs • Mxene forms conductive networks in membranes to enhance the conductivity of CEMs • The Ti 3 C 2 T X /PVDF CEMs have good mechanical stability and thermal stability • The mass transfer performance of the modified CEMs in electrodialysis is improved