Poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl
methacrylate)-b-poly(imidazoled
glycidyl methacrylate-co-diethylene glycol methyl
ether methacrylate) (PTFEMA-b-P(iGMA-co-MEO2MA)) containing an upper critical solution temperature
(UCST) polymer chain was prepared and blended with poly(vinylidene
fluoride) (PVDF) to produce a thermoresponsive membrane with smart
self-cleaning performance. The successful preparation of the membrane
was demonstrated by attenuated total reflection–Fourier-transform
infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning
electron microscopy characterization. The membrane shows UCST performance,
and its flux changes with the filtrate temperature as the UCST polymer
chain stretches out and contracts in response to various temperatures.
In addition, the UCST polymer chain can disrupt the foulant and push
it away from the membrane when the temperature is above the UCST and
thus enables membranes to exhibit a smart self-cleaning behavior.
To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first report of a smart
self-cleaning membrane based on the blending of a diblock copolymer
containing a UCST polymer chain with PVDF.
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