Polymer surface nano-structuring of reverse osmosis membranes for fouling resistance and improved flux performance

Lin, Nancy H.; Kim, Myung-man; Lewis, Gregory T.; Cohen, Yoram

doi:10.1039/b926918e

Cited by 122 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Antifouling membranes continue to be a goal ( Table 2) and some advances have been made with development of smoother, more hydrophilic surfaces, or the use of polymer brushes. [117] One approach to control biofouling is to have antibacterial properties in membranes and/or spacers, [118] and another future strategy could be "biomimicry". Biofilms develop via quorum sensing and biofilm dispersal and involve chemical triggers; biomimicry control involves manipulating these triggers.…”

Section: Antifouling Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthetic Membranes for Water Purification: Status and Future

2015

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Membrane technology offers the best options to "drought proof" mankind on an increasingly thirsty planet by purifying seawater or used (waste) water. Although desalination by reverse osmosis (RO) and wastewater treatment by membrane bioreactors are well established the various membrane technologies still need to be significantly improved in terms of separation properties, energy demand and costs. We can now define the ideal characteristics of membranes and advances in material science and novel chemistries are leading to increasingly effective membranes. However developments in membranes must be matched by improved device design and membrane engineering. It is likely that limitations in fluid mechanics and mass transfer will define the upper bounds of membrane performance. Nevertheless major advances and growth over the next 20 years can be anticipated with RO remaining as the key to desalination and reclamation, with other membrane processes growing in support and in niche areas.

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Section: Antifouling Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthetic Membranes for Water Purification: Status and Future

2015

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“…The ability of such pores to coordinate multiphase transport, in a highly selective and subtly triggered fashion and without clogging, has inspired interest in synthetic gated pores for applications ranging from fluid processing to 3D printing and labon-chip systems 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 . But although specific gating and transport behaviors have been realized by precisely tailoring pore surface chemistries and pore geometries 6,11-17 , a single system capable of selectively handling and controlling complex multiphase transport has remained a distant prospect, and fouling is nearly inevitable 11,12 . Here, we introduce a gating mechanism that uses a capillary-stabilized fluid to seal pores in the closed state, and reversibly and rapidly reconfigures it under pressure to create a non-fouling, fluid-lined pore in the open state.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid-based gating mechanism with tunable multiphase selectivity and antifouling behaviour

Hou

Grinthal

et al. 2015

Nature

420

395

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Living organisms make extensive use of micro-and nanometer-sized pores as gatekeepers for controlling the movement of fluids, vapors and solids between complex environments. The ability of such pores to coordinate multiphase transport, in a highly selective and subtly triggered fashion and without clogging, has inspired interest in synthetic gated pores for applications ranging from fluid processing to 3D printing and labon-chip systems 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 . But although specific gating and transport behaviors have been realized by precisely tailoring pore surface chemistries and pore geometries 6,11-17 , a single system capable of selectively handling and controlling complex multiphase transport has remained a distant prospect, and fouling is nearly inevitable 11,12 . Here, we introduce a gating mechanism that uses a capillary-stabilized fluid to seal pores in the closed state, and reversibly and rapidly reconfigures it under pressure to create a non-fouling, fluid-lined pore in the open state. Theoretical modeling and experiments demonstrate that for each transport substance, the gating threshold -the pressure needed to open pores -can be rationally tuned over a wide pressure range. This allows us to realize in one system differential response profiles for a variety of liquids and gases, even letting liquids flow through the pore while preventing gas escape. These capabilities allow us to dynamically modulate gas/liquid sorting in a microfluidic flow and to separate a three-phase air/water/oil mixture, with the fluid lining ensuring sustained antifouling behavior. Because the liquid gating strategy enables efficient long-term operation and can be applied to a variety of pore structures, membrane materials and micro-as well as macro-scale fluid systems, we expect it to prove useful in a wide range of applications.Our hypothesis that a liquid-filled pore could provide a unified gating strategy derives from the idea that a liquid stabilized inside a micropore offers a unique combination of dynamic and interfacial behaviors, and is inspired by nature's use of fluids as reconfigurable gates. Microscale stomata and xylem control air, water, and microbe exchange in plants by using fluid to mechanically reconfigure the pore 18 . The nuclear pore is directly lined with disordered fluidlike proteins that have been proposed not only to regulate differential transport of a wide range of cargos, but also to completely prevent fouling 19 . Most interestingly, micropores between air sacs in the lung are filled with liquid that has been proposed to reversibly reconfigure into an open, fluid-lined pore in response to pressure gradients 20 . Figure 1 contrasts the gating mechanisms in a traditional and in a liquid-filled pore. In the case of traditional nano/micropores (Fig.1a), gases will flow through passively regardless of 2 pore shape and surface chemistry, while liquids will enter the pore once the applied pressure reaches a critical value dictated by the balance of surface interactions, pore geometry and surface tension....

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“…[58][59][60] In addition, the antifouling properties of some polymer layers come from the mobility of polymers segments that protect the surface from adsorption of protein. It is known that the mobility of chains depends on their chemical structure and the more mobile are chains containing heteroatoms in their internal structure, like polyethers, e.g.…”

Section: Selected Biomedical Applications Of Surfaces Grafted With Pomentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrophilic polymers grafted surfaces: preparation, characterization, and biomedical applications. Achievements and challenges

Gosecka

Basiǹska

2015

Polymers for Advanced Techs

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This paper describes various methods of preparation and characterization of supports (e.g. silicon, polymer, and metal) with grafted polymers and copolymers, which were tailored for biomedical applications. In particular, there are described methods related to preparation of substrates by surface modification leading to incorporation of initiators and, eventually, various polymerization methods yielding complete, dense, and efficient polymer or copolymer coverage with desired arrangement of polymers/copolymers chains, sufficient chains density, and thickness of a polymer layer. Special attention is drawn to the description of manufacturing of patterned polymer stimuli responsive brushes that are sensitive to changes, for example, temperature, pH, hydrophilicity, solvent, and ionic strength. Selected applications of supports containing tethered polymer brushes used as modern materials useful in biosciences, particularly as elements of biosensors, materials for diagnostics, and prostheses, as well as in other areas of micro-technology and nanotechnology are discussed.

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Polymer surface nano-structuring of reverse osmosis membranes for fouling resistance and improved flux performance

Cited by 122 publications

References 60 publications

Synthetic Membranes for Water Purification: Status and Future

Synthetic Membranes for Water Purification: Status and Future

Liquid-based gating mechanism with tunable multiphase selectivity and antifouling behaviour

Hydrophilic polymers grafted surfaces: preparation, characterization, and biomedical applications. Achievements and challenges

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