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N-Oxide Zwitterion Functionalized Positively Charged Polyamide Composite Membranes for Nanofiltration
Hui Zhang1, Yi Li1, Junping Miao1
1State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes/National Center for International Joint Research on Separation Membranes, School of Material Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin300387, China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|December 13, 2022
Summary
Novel zwitterionic polyethyleneimine (ZPEI) thin-film composite membranes offer enhanced water purification. These positively charged nanofiltration membranes demonstrate superior salt rejection and anti-fouling properties for desalination and wastewater reuse.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide membranes are crucial for water treatment.
- Improving membrane performance, such as salt rejection and anti-fouling, remains a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize N-oxide zwitterionic polyethyleneimine (ZPEI) as a monomer for TFC membranes.
- To investigate the performance of ZPEI-based TFC membranes for nanofiltration applications.
Main Methods:
- Interfacial polymerization was used to fabricate ZPEI-TFC membranes.
- Membrane properties including roughness, hydrophilicity, pore size, and charge were analyzed.
- Salt rejection, water flux, and anti-fouling performance were evaluated.
Main Results:
- Optimal ZPEI-TFC membranes showed reduced roughness, improved hydrophilicity, and smaller pore size (238 Da MWCO).
- The membranes exhibited high rejection rates for divalent cations (93.0% MgCl2) and anions (96.1% Na2SO4) with a water flux of 81.0 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹.
- Excellent anti-fouling properties were observed, with a 97.0% flux recovery ratio against bovine serum albumin.
Conclusions:
- ZPEI-TFC membranes offer superior performance compared to traditional PEI-TFC membranes.
- The N-oxide zwitterion's hydration capability contributes to the membranes' anti-fouling characteristics.
- These novel membranes present a promising alternative for water desalination and sewage reclamation.
