Hybrid polymer inclusion membrane as anion exchange membrane for recovering Pd2+ ions in electrogenerative process

A novel non-plasticized nano-porous hybrid inorganic-organic polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) was synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as an anion exchange membrane for application in electrogenerative processes to recover Pd2+ ions. Ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-me­thyl­imidazolium chloride (EMIM-Cl) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM-Cl) were used as the carrier molecules in the polymeric network of PIM to enhance anion exchange process. This hybrid anion exchange membrane also consists of a polymeric matrix of non-plasticized cellulose triacetate modified by incorporating an inorganic material (silane) prepared by the sol-gel route. Different parameters affecting the ion transport performance efficiency, i.e., the composition of the membrane, type of ionic liquid (carrier molecule) and ion–exchange capacity, were investigated and optimized. In the electrogenerative process, the results revealed that the prepared PIM yields better recovery results for recovering Pd2+ ions from its chloride solution compared to the commercial anion exchange membrane Neosepta® AM-01, with a full recovery of 100 mg/L Pd2+ ions in 30 min. This preliminary study shows that the prepared low-cost hybrid anion exchange membrane PIM can act as an inexpensive material suitable for the rapid and efficient recovery of Pd2+ ions from an aqueous solution.