Development of antimicrobial and antifouling nanocomposite membranes by a phase inversion technique

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Membrane separation technology is preferred over conventional techniques because of its simple operation and high efficiency. The major drawback of using a pristine polymer for membrane application includes its rapid fouling tendency, which affects the separation efficiency of membranes; hence, they need to be modified using physical or chemical techniques. Recent developments involve the incorporation of nanoparticles within the polymer to achieve high efficiency along with stability. The hydrophobic membranes of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) blended with titanium dioxide (TiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) nanoparticles were synthesized using a phase inversion technique to develop an antifouling membrane. The effects of TiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> loading on the permeation flux and antimicrobial behavior of the membranes were systematically investigated, and the experimental results were also justified using the theoretical model. Extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to study the membrane morphology. It was observed that the antimicrobial properties of different PVDF/TiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> ratios against Gram-negative <jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic>) showed excellent results compared with PVDF membrane. The antimicrobial activity was also evaluated to study the exponential growth phases’ retardation of <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic> over the membrane surface. The experimental result for bovine serum albumin filtration was also studied and high protein rejection was achieved for PVDF/TiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (1.5 wt%) membrane.</jats:p>

Fouling Prevention in Polymeric Membranes by Radiation Induced Graft Copolymerization

“…The use of nanoparticles to change the surface properties of membranes with respect to hydrophilicity and charge for imparting antifouling functions to the obtained nanocomposite membranes has been widely investigated [ 227 ]. Various metals such as Ag and Cu [ 228 ] and metal oxides such as Fe 2 O 3 , CuO, TiO 2 , and ZnO [ 229 ] have been used for the development of membranes with antimicrobial characteristics. Modification of membranes via in situ formation of Ag nanoparticles has been performed through covalent coating [ 230 ] to eliminate the leaching factor that defeats the expected performance of the membranes [ 231 ].…”

Antibacterial properties of enzymatically treated PET fibers functionalized by nitric oxide

“…Antifouling is the ability of specific materials to impede the initial attachment of unwanted microorganisms by coating or surface treatment [10]. However, the film formed by these coatings usually has a short lifetime and then it becomes ineffective [11]. Meanwhile, antibacterial refers to any substances that can kill, inhibit, or slow down the growth of bacteria [12].…”

Properties and preparation of TiO2‐HAP@PVDF composite ultrafiltration membranes

“…In their study, the pore morphology, size, and connectivity can be better controlled through crystal nucleation and growth, and the PVDF membranes are improved simultaneously through the antifouling properties and hydrophilicity by adding TiO 2 . Endowed with interconnected porosity, the PVDF/TiO 2 composite membrane has outstanding pure water flux, which, compared to commercialized PVDF membranes with analogical pore sizes, is increased by 6 times.Arif Z et al 20 synthesized PVDF/TiO 2 hydrophobic membranes by means of phase inversion technique and investigated the impact on PVDF membranes posed by TiO 2 loading capacity in terms of the antimicrobial activity. As revealed by the results, the loading of TiO 2 facilitates the inhibition on bacterial growth on membrane surface, and 1.5 wt% TiO 2 loading capacity results in the optimal inhibition effect.…”