Solvent-resistant porous membranes using poly(ether-ether ketone): preparation and application

Poly(ether-ether ketone) (PEEK) is a linear aromatic macromolecule, which can form semi-crystalline aggregative status, allowing PEEK materials to have strong environment tolerance and excellent physicochemical properties. PEEK materials have become a promising alternative to fabricate particular membranes used in extreme conditions. In the past few decades, many researches and evolutions have emerged in membrane fabrication with PEEK materials and its applications for treating organic solvents and their mixtures; however, there are little systematic and comprehensive literature to summarize fabrication approaches, compile applications, and elaborate PEEK property-structure relationship. In this review, the main approaches to fabricate PEEK-based membranes are illustrated concretely, including conventional thermal-induced and non-solvent-induced phase separation, and novel chemical-induced crystallization; the representative applications in ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and membrane contactor containing organic solvents are demonstrated systematically. Meanwhile, the mechanism to tune PEEK solubility in solvents, which can be achieved by altering monomers in synthesis processes or changing membrane preparation routes, is deeply analyzed. Moreover, the existing problems and the future prospects are also discussed. This review provides positive guidance for designing and fabricating membranes using PEEK and its derivative materials for task-specific applications in harsh conditions.