Toughened chitosan-based composite membranes with antibiofouling and antibacterial properties via incorporation of benzalkonium chloride

Abstract

Chitosan/PEG/MWCNT/BKC membranes exhibit enhanced antibiofouling properties against S. aureus and E. coli. MWCNT/BKC are located as dispersed nano-clusters with π–π stacking interactions in the chitosan matrix, and are coved by PEG chains.

Effects of Benzalkonium Chloride Contents on Structures, Properties, and Ultrafiltration Performances of Chitosan-Based Nanocomposite Membranes

“…FE-SEM was employed to examine the membrane morphology. The SEM images of chitosan/PEG/CNT/BKC nanocomposite membranes in the cross-section part, as illustrated in Figure 1 , depict the asymmetric porous structure of the chitosan matrix with the use of PEG as porogen [ 18 , 41 ]. In addition, the incorporation of BKC induced the formation of an elongated porous structure as a result of the flattened stacking of aromatic rings in BKC and CNT structures [ 18 ].…”

“…The segregation of BKC clusters during the casting process is the main cause of this roughness increase. Due to their amphiphilic nature, BKC molecules tend to form a cluster structure by stacking their non-polar benzene rings, leading to the extension of their quaternary ammonium groups at the cluster’s surfaces to interact and promote compatibility with the more polar chitosan structure [ 18 , 42 , 43 ].…”

“…Chitosan/PEG/CNT/BKC nanocomposite membranes were fabricated via solution mixing and casting methods, as described in our previous work [ 18 ]. The mass ratio of chitosan: BKC:PEG:CNT is 8572:10:285:1.…”

“…A variety of methods have been proposed to overcome biofouling problems, including the biological control of feed water by calculating the total direct cell (TDC) assimilable organic carbon (AOC) [ 15 ]; the biofilm formation rate (BFR); and the chemical and physical modification of membrane, such as membrane surface grafting [ 16 ] and nanoparticle mixing [ 17 ]. Among these, modifications of the membranes by adding antibacterial agents to the membrane matrix (solution mixing) [ 8 , 9 , 18 , 19 ] are of interest because these are safer, more economical, and proven to deal with biofouling efficiently.…”

“…In our previous study [ 18 ], chitosan/PEG/CNT/BKC nanocomposite membranes were developed using an in situ forming method. BKC was employed as an antibacterial agent.…”