Abstract:
As global industries increasingly demand efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly separation technologies, organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes have demonstrated significant potential in fields such as solvent recovery and product purification. Currently, the research and application of OSN are mainly focused on polar solvent systems, while studies on the separation of nonpolar solvents (such as alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons) remain relatively limited. Corresponding membrane materials face the challenges of insufficient stability and limited performance. Addressing common issues in nonpolar systems such as membrane swelling and plastization, chemical interface mismatch, and permeability-selectivity trade-off, this review systematically summarizes the fabrication strategies and separation mechanisms of OSN membranes, including polymer membranes, nanocomposite membranes, and ceramic membranes. It focuses on innovative strategies, including molecular engineering design of new solvent-resistant polymers, construction of precies sub-nanometer pores, incorporation of hydrophobic groups, chemical crosslinking modification, and synergistic optimization of membrane structures and performance using nanofillers such as metal organic frameworks(MOFs). Finally, this review looks forward to the future development directions of nanofiltration membranes for nonpolar organic solvent systems, aiming to provide a reference for its efficient and green separation applications in critical industrial fields such as energy, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.