In this study, the
preparation of a new, functional anion-exchange
membrane (AEM), containing guanidinium groups as the anion-exchanging
sites (Gu-100), is described as well as the membrane characterization
by XPS, water uptake, permselectivities, and electrical resistances.
The functional membrane was also employed in pH-dependent electrodialysis
experiments using model dairy wastewater streams. The properties of
the new membrane are compared to those of a commercially available
anion-exchange membrane bearing conventional quaternary ammonium groups
(Gu-0). Guanidinium was chosen for its specific binding properties
toward oxyanions: e.g., phosphate. This functional moiety was covalently
coupled to an acrylate monomer via a facile two-step synthesis to
yield bulk-modified membranes upon polymerization. Significant differences
were observed in the electrodialysis experiments for Gu-0 and Gu-100
at pH 7, showing an enhanced phosphate and citrate transport for Gu-100
in comparison to Gu-0. At pH 10 the difference is much more pronounced:
for Gu-0 membranes almost no phosphate and citrate transport could
be detected, while the Gu-100 membranes transported both ions significantly.
We conclude that having guanidinium groups as anion-exchange sites
improves the selectivity of AEMs. As the presented monomer synthesis
strategy is modular, we consider the implementation of functional
groups into a polymer-based membrane via the synthesis of tailor-made
monomers as an important step toward selective ion transport, which
is relevant for various fields, including water treatment processes
and fuel cells.