Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2019.03.011

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 98-103.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2019.03.011

• Separation Science and Engineering • Previous Articles Next Articles

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Hao Yang, Jiemei Zhou, Zhaogen Wang, Xiansong Shi, Yong Wang

State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China

Received:2019-01-19 Revised:2019-02-20 Online:2020-03-31 Published:2020-01-28
Contact: Yong Wang
Supported by:
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21776126), the National Basic Research Program of China (2015CB655301), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20150063), and partially supported by the Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes (M1-201702).

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Hao Yang, Jiemei Zhou, Zhaogen Wang, Xiansong Shi, Yong Wang

State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China

通讯作者: Yong Wang
基金资助:
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21776126), the National Basic Research Program of China (2015CB655301), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20150063), and partially supported by the Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes (M1-201702).

Abstract

Abstract: Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PSF-b-PEG, SFEG) composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)/humic acid (HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

Key words: Polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol), Block copolymer, Fouling resistance, Selective swelling, Ultrafiltration membrane

摘要： Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PSF-b-PEG, SFEG) composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)/humic acid (HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

关键词: Polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol), Block copolymer, Fouling resistance, Selective swelling, Ultrafiltration membrane

Hao Yang, Jiemei Zhou, Zhaogen Wang, Xiansong Shi, Yong Wang. Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2020, 28(1): 98-103.

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Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

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