Amphiphilic Thiol Functional Linker Mediated Sustainable Anti-Biofouling Ultrafiltration Nanocomposite Comprising a Silver Nanoparticles and Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Membrane

Abstract

We develop sustainable anti-biofouling ultrafiltration membrane nanocomposites by covalently immobilizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane mediated by a thiol-end functional amphiphilic block copolymer linker. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) measurements reveal that the AgNPs are highly bound and dispersed to the PVDF membrane due to the strong affinity of the AgNPs with the thiol-modified block copolymeric linkers, which have been anchored to the PVDF membrane. The membrane performs well under water permeability and particle rejection measurements, despite the high deposition of AgNPs on the surface of membrane. The Ag-PVDF membrane nanocomposite significantly inhibits the growth of bacteria on the membrane surface, resulting in enhanced anti-biofouling property. Importantly, the AgNPs are not released from the membrane surface due to the robust covalent bond between the AgNPs and the thiolated PVDF membrane. The stability of the membrane nanocomposite ensures a sustainable anti-biofouling activity of the membrane.

The anti-biofouling properties of thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes grafted with biogenic silver nanoparticles

“…The stable and strong bond between the AgNPs and the membrane is important for ensuring the maintenance of anti-biofouling performance for high-efficient and eco-friendly membrane system 34 . The release rate of silver from the AgNPs grafted membrane was examined in both static and filtration experiments.…”

A Comprehensive Review on Polymeric Nano-Composite Membranes for Water Treatment

“…Different properties can be obtained by tailoring membrane with varying blend composition to obtain desired membrane structure. For this purpose, inorganic nano-materials are used as nanofillers to incorporate into polymer matrices for enhanced membrane performance [82,110,111]. Among these methods, surface grafting and surface coating are commonly used to enhance anti-fouling property and imparting hydrophilic character to membrane.…”

Anti-scaling ultrafiltration/microfiltration (UF/MF) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with positive surface charges for Ca2+/silica-rich wastewater treatment

“…Moreover, the positive charges should be maintained during membrane operation. Previously, we reported a technique to tightly anchor various functional materials onto the UF/MF membrane surface using hydrophilic-hydrophobic phase recognition during a membrane fabrication process, resulting in reduced biofouling [22] and the removal of hazardous materials such as heavy metal ions [23] and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) [24]. Furthermore, we showed that these modified membranes maintained their desired properties through excellent binding stability.…”