Preparation and characterization of antifouling and antibacterial polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes incorporated with a silver–polydopamine nanohybrid

Abstract

A silver–polydopamine (Ag–PDA) nanohybird was used to produce polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membranes with excellent antifouling and antibacterial properties. First, the catechol functional groups of polydopamine (PDA) helped with the in situ immobilization of silver (Ag) nanoparticles (<10 nm) on the PDA sphere surface; this led to the formation of the Ag–PDA nanohybrid. Then, Ag–PDA/PSf hybrid membranes were prepared via the phase‐inversion method, and the influence of Ag–PDA loading on the hybrid membrane properties was systematically investigated. When the content of Ag–PDA was 0.5 wt %, the hybrid membrane achieved optimal separation performance, including a dramatically increased pure water flux and a well‐maintained bovine serum albumin rejection. Furthermore, the Ag–PDA/PSf hybrid membranes presented a significantly enhanced protein‐fouling resistance and a good antibacterial activity. These improvements were attributed to the unique structure and properties of the Ag–PDA nanohybrid because of the synergistic effect of the hydrophilic PDA substrate and well‐distributed Ag nanoparticles. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46430.

Influence of Ag/titanate nanotubes on physicochemical, antifouling and antimicrobial properties of mixed‐matrix polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes

“…The TNTs were prepared from anatase TiO 2 powder using a hydrothermal method . Ag‐NPs were deposited onto TNTs using a photoreduction approach described elsewhere . In brief, a suspension of 0.5 g of TNTs in 50 mL of 100 mM AgNO 3 solution was irradiated using a low‐pressure mercury vapour lamp (TNN 15/32, Heraeus Noblelight GmbH, 15 W, λ max = 254 nm) for 2 h with continuous stirring (250 rpm).…”

“…Park et al have confirmed that the implementation of polyamide‐based membranes with silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NPs) had a positive impact not only on the antimicrobial activity of the modified membranes, but also on their hydraulic resistance and separation performance. Similar observations were made by Wu et al while studying silver–polydopamine (Ag‐PDA)‐modified PSU membranes. Aside from good separation performance, including an increased pure water flux (PWF) and a well‐maintained bovine serum albumin rejection, the Ag‐PDA‐modified PSU membranes presented an enhanced protein‐fouling resistance and a good antimicrobial activity.…”

Performance Improvement and Biofouling Mitigation in Osmotic Microbial Fuel Cells via In Situ Formation of Silver Nanoparticles on Forward Osmosis Membrane

“…According to previous studies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], in situ modification of the membrane via biocides is an effective method to prevent the deposition of bacteria on the membrane surface and subsequently to mitigate the biofouling. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are commonly used as the biocide owing to their strong antibacterial activity against numerous types of bacteria [13].…”

Antibacterial Properties of Microfiltration Membranes Modified by Silver Nitrate

“…The designs of membrane elements can be in the form of flat films, corrugated elements, tubes, and cartridges. Films made of cellulose acetate, nylon 66, nylon 6, polyvinylidene fluoride, polysulfone, polypropylene, and polyether sulfone are used as membrane materials [9][10][11][12].…”