Highly antifouling polymer-nanoparticle-nanoparticle/polymer hybrid membranes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Wastewater treatment requires advanced materials for efficient purification.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes often suffer from fouling and limited separation capabilities.
• Developing novel hybrid membranes can enhance performance for diverse pollutant removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create highly antifouling Polymer-Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle/Polymer (PNNP) hybrid membranes.
• To functionalize halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanoparticles with nitrogen-rich polyethylenimine (PEI) and embed them into PVC membranes.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these nanocomposite membranes for protein and dye removal from wastewater.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nitrogen-rich polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalized halloysite nanotube (HNT-SiO2-PEI) nanoparticles.
• Fabrication of HNT-SiO2-PEI/PVC nanocomposite membranes.
• Characterization using FTIR, XRD, XPS, TEM, TGA, SEM, AFM, and ATR-FTIR.
• Performance evaluation through pure water permeability, protein (BSA) rejection, and dye separation tests.

Main Results:

• Incorporation of HNT-SiO2-PEI nanoparticles enhanced membrane porosity and mean pore size while reducing surface roughness.
• Surface hydrophilicity and flexibility of PVC membranes were significantly improved.
• Optimal performance, including high flux recovery ratio (96.8%) and dye separation (up to 99.97%), was achieved at 2 wt% nanoparticle loading.
• The nanocomposite membranes exhibited superior antifouling properties.

Conclusions:

• HNT-SiO2-PEI/PVC hybrid membranes demonstrate excellent antifouling properties and enhanced performance for wastewater purification.
• The developed PNNP materials offer a versatile solution for removing proteins and dyes.
• This study successfully modified hydrophobic PVC membranes, leading to improved wastewater treatment quality.