Surface Modification of Microporous Polypropylene Membranes by Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of α-Allyl Glucoside

Abstract

To change the surface property from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and to improve the antifouling property, the N2-plasma-induced graft polymerization of sugar-containing monomer [α-allyl glucoside (AG) in this work] was carried out on microporous polypropylene hollow fiber membranes (PPHFMs) for the first time. The chemical and morphological changes of the membrane surface were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, pure-water contact-angle, and protein adsorption measurements. It was found that the AG grafting degree increased slightly with the increase of AG monomer concentration for coating and adsorption on the membrane surface, and then it decreased when the AG concentration exceeded 0.25 g/mL. The static contact angle of pure water on the grafted membrane decreased significantly from 120 to 36° with the increase of the AG grafting degree from 0 to 3.46 wt %, which indicated that the membrane surface was distinctly changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Most importantly, the contact-angle measurements also revealed that the hydrophilicity was permanent, and no hydrophobic recovery was observed. The pure-water flux of PPHFMs grafted with 2.50 wt % AG reached tremendously to 3.82 × 103 kg/(m2·h). Furthermore, modification by AG grafting made the membrane surface less susceptible to the adsorption of bovine serum albumin. The modified membranes also give high flux recoveries after cleaning, indicating that the antifouling property of the membrane was improved.

Development of thermoresponsive poly(propylene-g-N-isopropylacrylamide) non-woven 3D scaffold for smart cell culture using oxyfluorination-assisted graft polymerisation

“…Our results for the contact angle cannot be directly compared to other studies due to the difference in the oxyfluorination conditions used, and the scaffold morphology. The NWF used in this study is highly porous, and it is known that porous surfaces are non-ideal for contact angle measurements using the Young equation due to the heterogeneity, roughness, capillary forces within pores, contraction of the polymer in the dry state, and restructuring of the surfaces [35]. However, comparison between samples can still be effectively made.…”

Protein Adsorption on a Glycosylated Polyacrylonitrile Surface: Monitoring with QCM and SPR

“…[22][23][24][25] Although the potential of glycosylated poly(propylene) beads and membranes is obvious, it is impossible for us, however, to study the carbohydrate-protein interactions in these cases. Because of the fine film-forming performance and excellent physicochemical properties, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based copolymers are also superior supports for carbohydrate immobilization.…”

Grafting of telechelic poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) onto O2 plasma‐treated polypropylene flakes

“…Some useful monomer can be grafted on the surface of plasma-treated polymer by a postpolymerization, such as glycidyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, a-ally glycoside, or heparin. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been successful as a biodegradable polymer, because it undergoes hydrolysis in the body to produce the original monomers, lactic acid, and glycolic acid, which is useful for sutures and implant. 32,33 PLGA is synthesized by means of random ring-opening copolymerization of two different monomers, the cyclic dimers (1,4-dioxane-2,5-diones) of glycolic acid and lactic acid.…”