We report a highly permeable poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) composite for use in a facilitated olefin transport membrane. Surface-tuned AgNPs were generated using AgBF4 as a precursor. The electronic structure of the AgNP surface was tuned by the electron acceptor p-BQ to induce positive charges. The interaction between olefins and the polarized surface of AgNPs in a permeable PEO matrix was expected to show excellent separation performance. Our results show that the PEO/AgNPs/p-BQ composite membranes possess a selectivity of 10 and a mixed-gas permeance of 15 GPU for durations longer than 240 h. The surface-activated AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies.
