报告题目：Tailoring Thin-film Composite Membranes with Nanofoaming
报 告 人：Chuyang Y. Tang,Environmental Engineering at the University of Hong Kong
时 间：2025年07月10日上午10:00
地 点：莫干山校区化工5号楼B306报告厅
报告摘要：
Thin film composite (TFC) polyamide membranes have been widely applied for environmental applications, such as desalination and water reuse. The separation performance of TFC polyamide membranes strongly depends on their nanovoid containing roughness morphology. These nanovoids not only influence the effective filtration area of the polyamide film but also regulate the water transport pathways through the film. Although there have been ongoing debates on the formation mechanisms of nanovoids, a nanofoaming theory, stipulating the shaping of polyamide roughness morphology by nanobubbles of degassed CO2 and the vapor of volatile solvents, has gained much attention in recent years. In this talk, I provide a comprehensive summary of the nanofoaming mechanism, including related fundamental principles and strategies to tailor nanovoid formation for improved membrane separation performance. The effects of nanovoids on the fouling behaviors of TFC membranes are also discussed. In addition, numerical models on the role of nanovoids in regulating the water transport pathways toward improved water permeance and antifouling ability are highlighted. The comprehensive summary on the nanofoaming mechanism in this review provides insightful guidelines for the future design and optimization of TFC polyamide membranes toward various environmental applications.
报告人简介：
Chuyang Y. Tang is a Chair Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD degree from Stanford University and has over 20 years’ experience in membrane technology, water reuse, and desalination. Professor Tang is a co-editor of the Desalination Journal and a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2021. He has published more than 400 journal papers, with a total citation of >49,000 and H-index of 124 according to Google Scholar. Professor Tang led the invention of aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes, which resulted in the successful commercialization of Aquaporin Inside Membranes (AIMs®) by Aquaporin Asia Singapore. His R&D has received many prestigious awards and recognitions, such as the inaugural RGC Senior Research Fellowship, the inaugural HKU Innovator Award, the HKU Outstanding Researcher Award, Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor of National University of Singapore, Global Chair of Bath University, the IDA Water Reuse & Conservation Award, the CAPEES/Nanova Frontier Research Award, Singapore Minister of National Development R&D Award, Finland Distinguished Professor Program Fellow, IDA Fellow, etc. More information about Professor Tang’s research can be found at www.membest.hku.hk.
