pH-responsive membranes: Mechanisms, fabrications, and applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• pH-responsive membranes (PRMs) exhibit dynamic changes in permeability, selectivity, and surface charge in response to pH variations.
• Understanding pH-responsiveness mechanisms is crucial for designing functional membranes.
• PRMs offer significant potential across various scientific and industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms of pH-responsiveness in polymers.
• To categorize polymers and functional groups utilized in PRMs.
• To discuss fabrication techniques and applications of PRMs, alongside future prospects.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on pH-responsive polymer mechanisms.
• Categorization of polymers, functional groups, and fabrication methods (e.g., grafting, blending, novel polymers, graphene-layered).
• Analysis of PRM applications in filtration, reverse osmosis, drug delivery, gas separation, pervaporation, and self-cleaning.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of pH-responsiveness mechanisms in polymers.
• Discussion of various fabrication strategies for creating PRMs.
• Exploration of diverse applications, including advanced filtration and controlled drug release.

Conclusions:

• PRMs represent a versatile class of materials with tunable properties.
• Fabrication techniques and applications are continually evolving.
• Further research into PRM development is essential for enhanced separation and filtration performance.