Influence of the physicochemical environment on membrane-protein binding: investigation using a fabricated PVDF membrane

Abstract

The correlation between the behavior of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane toward protein binding at different physicochemical environments was investigated. The PVDF membrane was first fabricated and characterized to understand its morphological, polymorph and intrinsic characteristics. The results confirmed that the membrane had a microporous, symmetric structure and high hydrophobicity and electronegativity. The membrane was further tested under different physicochemical environments by modifying the type of protein and pH medium used. The results showed that different proteins and pH values contribute to different membraneprotein binding mechanisms. Overall, the results of PVDF membrane-protein binding were satisfactory and demonstrated the ability of the membrane to capture various proteins or reagents.