TRANSPORT OF SOME NITROGEN HETEROCYCLIC AND AROMATIC-COMPOUNDS THROUGH METAL-ION CONTAINING NAFION IONOMER MEMBRANE

The permeation of some nitro en heterocyclic bases, such as 1,10-phena ntkroline, 2,2'-bipyridyl and 2-aminopyridine, and several aromatic co mpounds, namely styrene, toluene, nitrobenzene, aniline and biphenyl, through Nafion 117 ionomer membrane in H+, Na+, CU(2+)and Ag+ form has been studied. The permeation fluxes of the organic solutes through th e membrane were measured by determining the concentration of the compo unds in the sweep solutions using HPLC or flow injection technique. Th e positive role of metal ions in enhancing the permeation flux has bee n attributed to the complex formation of the solutes with the metal io ns in the membrane. The contribution of the molecular structure of the permeates and steric effects are also discussed. The separation of so me binary mixtures under favourable conditions is also shown.