A facile method to modify polypropylene membrane by polydopamine coating via inkjet printing technique for superior...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coatings enhance membrane antifouling properties.
• High cost of dopamine (DA) and slow polymerization hinder PDA application.
• Existing methods for PDA deposition are often time-consuming and expensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, rapid, and facile method for PDA membrane surface functionalization.
• To investigate the antifouling performance and stability of PDA-modified membranes.
• To explore the potential of inkjet printing for oxidant-induced mussel-inspired modification.

Main Methods:

• Inkjet printing of dopamine (DA) and sodium periodate (SP) onto polypropylene (PP) membranes.
• Characterization of membrane hydrophilicity, pure water permeability, and antifouling properties.
• Assessment of chemical stability across a pH range of 2-9.

Main Results:

• PDA-SP coated PP membranes exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity (67.2°).
• Superior pure water permeability (2156.8 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹) and antifouling properties were achieved.
• The modified membranes demonstrated good chemical stability in aqueous solutions (pH 2-9).

Conclusions:

• Inkjet printing with an oxidant offers a rapid and cost-effective approach for PDA membrane modification.
• The developed method significantly improves membrane performance and stability.
• This substrate-independent technique holds broad application prospects in membrane fabrication.