Fabrication of macroporous polymeric membranes through binary convective deposition

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Development of advanced filtration materials is crucial for bioseparation applications.
• Nanoporous membranes offer high selectivity and efficiency in separating biological entities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate uniform nanoporous polymeric membranes with controlled pore sizes.
• To investigate the binary convective deposition of silica/polystyrene for membrane fabrication.
• To explore the etching process for creating nanopores in the fabricated membranes.

Main Methods:

• Binary convective deposition of 1 micrometer silica microspheres and 100 nm polystyrene nanoparticles.
• Controlled membrane thickness via monolayer and multilayer depositions.
• Etching of silica microspheres using hydrofluoric acid (HF) or potassium hydroxide (KOH).

Main Results:

• Achieved uniform and repeatable pore size distribution throughout and across the membranes.
• Consecutive monolayer depositions yielded highly ordered and densely packed thin films.
• Etching initiated at the polymer-oxide interface, increasing the etching rate and creating the pore structure.

Conclusions:

• Successfully fabricated tunable nanoporous polymeric membranes via binary convective deposition and etching.
• The developed membranes are suitable for targeted bioseparations, such as pathogen removal from blood.
• The findings offer a pathway for creating advanced membranes for biomedical applications.