Thermo-Sensitive Microgel/Poly(ether Sulfone) Composited Ultrafiltration Membranes

Overview

Journal Materials (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Date 2023 Jul 29

PMID 37512423

Authors

Wei Fan

Shaoxiong Zhu

Jingjing Nie

Binyang Du

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Thermo-sensitive microgels known as PMO-MGs were synthesized via surfactant free emulsion polymerization, with poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA) and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate (MEOMA) used as the monomers and N, N-methylene-bis-acrylamide used as the crosslinker. PMO-MGs are spherical in shape and have an average diameter of 323 ± 12 nm, as determined via transmission electron microscopy. PMO-MGs/poly (ether sulfone) (PES) composited ultrafiltration membranes were then successfully prepared via the non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method using a PMO-MG and PES mixed solution as the casting solution. The obtained membranes were systematically characterized via combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and contact angle goniometer techniques. It was found that the presence of PMO-MGs significantly improved the surface hydrophilicity and antifouling performance of the obtained membranes and the PMO-MGs mainly located on the channel surface of the membranes. At 20 °C, the pure water flux increased from 217.6 L·m·h for pure PES membrane (M00) to 369.7 L·m·h for PMO-MGs/PES composited membrane (M20) fabricated using the casting solution with 20-weight by percentage microgels. The incorporation of PMO-MGs also gave the composited membranes a thermo-sensitive character. When the temperature increased from 20 to 45 °C, the pure water flux of M20 membrane was enhanced from 369.7 to 618.7 L·m·h.

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