Enhancing biofouling resistance in microfiltration membranes through capsaicin-derivative functionalization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microfiltration membranes face challenges with low permeability and biofouling.
• Developing membranes with inherent antibacterial properties is crucial for enhanced filtration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize an antibacterial capsaicin derivative (CD) and graft it onto a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene)-g-polymethacrylic acid (P(VDF-CTFE)-g-PMAA) matrix.
• To fabricate and evaluate an antibacterial microfiltration membrane (MA) with improved anti-biofouling capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of an antibacterial capsaicin derivative (CD).
• Grafting CD onto the P(VDF-CTFE)-g-PMAA polymer to create an antibacterial polymer (PD).
• Fabrication of microfiltration membrane (MA) using PD via non-solvent-induced phase inversion.

Main Results:

• The MA membrane exhibited pore sizes concentrated around 436 nm with a pure water flux of 62 ± 0.17 Lm⁻²h⁻¹.
• MA demonstrated effective eradication of Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) bacteria.
• Compared to a control membrane, MA showed a lower flux decay rate (41.00% vs. 76.03%) and higher flux recovery (84.95% vs. 46.54%) after three cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed antibacterial polymer (PD) and microfiltration membrane (MA) show low cytotoxicity.
• The MA membrane possesses stable anti-biofouling properties and enhanced filtration performance.
• This study presents a promising approach for creating advanced microfiltration membranes with built-in antibacterial functionality.