Molecular simulation study of PAMAM dendrimer composite membranes.

Pure polysulfone (PSF) and its composites with chitosan (CST), hyaluronic acid (HA), conventional poly(amidoamine), and hydroxyl poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as the membranes for separation of the gases, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, and oxygen have been studied by molecular dynamics (MD) and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations. The transport properties (solubility, diffusivity, and permeability) of pure and gas mixtures in the membranes were calculated and the results of the simulations were compared with the available experimental data. The simulated structural properties of the pure and composite PSF membranes including occupied volume, free volume, surface area, fractional free volume (FFV), and radius of gyration (R g ) were evaluated and their effects on the separability of the gases by the membranes were analyzed and interpreted by the obtained results.