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Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

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Published on: April 7, 2017

Building polyzwitterion-based multilayers for responsive membranes.

Joris de Grooth¹, Mo Dong, Wiebe M de Vos

¹Membrane Science and Technology, Mesa+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede, The Netherlands.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|April 23, 2014

Summary

We developed ionic strength responsive membranes using polyzwitterion (PSBMA) and polycation (PDADMAC) multilayers. This novel approach enhances membrane permeability significantly with changing salt concentrations.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Membrane Technology

Background:

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly is a versatile technique for fabricating functional multilayers.
Polymeric membranes are crucial in various separation processes, but their responsiveness to environmental stimuli can be limited.
Developing stimuli-responsive materials is key to advancing membrane technology for dynamic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the assembly of polyzwitterion (PSBMA) and polycation (PDADMAC) multilayers for ionic strength responsive membranes.
To understand the influence of pH and ionic strength on the LbL assembly of PSBMA/PDADMAC.
To demonstrate the substrate-independent nature of PSBMA multilayer growth and their application in hollow fiber membranes.

Main Methods:

Systematic investigation of multilayer assembly using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique.
Monitoring multilayer growth on silica model surfaces via optical reflectometry.
Fabrication of hollow fiber membranes coated with PSBMA multilayers via dip-coating.

Main Results:

Stable PSBMA/PDADMAC multilayers were formed through specific electrostatic interactions.
Multilayer growth showed no pH dependence but a strong, inverse dependence on ionic strength, unlike classical LbL systems.
Substrate-independent growth of PSBMA multilayers was confirmed on various surfaces.
Coated hollow fiber membranes exhibited significant ionic strength responsiveness, with permeability increasing up to 108% from 0 to 1.5 M NaCl.

Conclusions:

PSBMA/PDADMAC multilayer assembly offers a controlled method for creating ionic strength responsive surfaces.
This approach provides a facile route to functionalize membranes with polyzwitterion properties.
The developed membranes show great potential for applications requiring tunable permeability based on ionic strength.