POS9-1077
Bicontinuous Polyelectrolyte Complex Membranes for Redox-Mediated Electrochemical Recovery of Bio-derived Volatile Fatty Acids
Topic
S9. Polymer Technology for Sustainability
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
Wangsuk Oh (Yonsei University Mirae campus)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Fermentative organic acid production is a sustainable approach for waste valorization, but the broad distribution and low concentrations of fermentation products hinder selective acid recovery and energy-efficient downstream processing. Here, we report thin-film composite membranes with a unique nanostructured polyelectrolyte selective layer for organic acid separation. Catalyst-free polymer modification is used to tune the hydrophobicity and phase behavior of polyelectrolytes, inducing on-surface phase separation during layer-by-layer deposition. The nanostructured layer simultaneously enhances organic acid permeability and molecular selectivity. Integrated with a redox-mediated electrodialysis process, the membranes enable the selective enrichment of organic acids from real fermentation effluents with low energy consumption. This work highlights the potential of exploiting interfacial phase separation in polyelectrolyte complexes to develop membrane platforms for sustainable recovery of bio-derived organic acids.
