Bio-inspired fabrication of high perm-selectivity and anti-fouling membranes based on zwitterionic polyelectrolyte nanoparticles

Nanofiltration membranes featuring high permeability, selectivity and anti-fouling properties represent a focal point of advanced membrane technologies for clean water production and purification. Inspired by “water channel” structures and fouling resistance characteristics of biological membranes, we fabricated a novel thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane containing zwitterionic polyelectrolyte nanoparticles (ZPNPs) by interfacial polymerization, wherein ZPNPs act as building blocks allowing for simultaneously improved permeability, selectivity and anti-fouling properties. By modulating the zwitterionic group content and ionic cross-linking degree of ZPNPs, the TFN-ZPNP membrane showed high water permeability (109.7 L m−2 h−1 MPa−1) and enhanced NaCl/Na2SO4 selectivity (28.4), respectively; these values were 191% and 125% of those for the pristine polyamide membrane. It was also demonstrated that the incorporation of ZPNPs can increase the surface hydrophilicity, electronegativity and reduce the surface roughness, leading to an improved anti-fouling performance against the bovine serum albumin protein foulant.

[1]  Shaoyi Jiang,et al.  Difference of carboxybetaine and oligo(ethylene glycol) moieties in altering hydrophobic interactions: a molecular simulation study. , 2014, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[2]  Masaru Tanaka,et al.  Structure of water incorporated in amphoteric polymer thin films as revealed by FT-IR spectroscopy. , 2008, Macromolecular bioscience.

[3]  Bong-Gyoon Han,et al.  Structural basis of water-specific transport through the AQP1 water channel , 2001, Nature.

[4]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  A novel type of polyelectrolyte complex/MWCNT hybrid nanofiltration membranes for water softening , 2015 .

[5]  Mika Mänttäri,et al.  Effect of pH on hydrophilicity and charge and their effect on the filtration efficiency of NF membranes at different pH , 2006 .

[6]  C. Téllez,et al.  High flux thin film nanocomposite membranes based on metal-organic frameworks for organic solvent nanofiltration. , 2013, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[7]  J. Georgiadis,et al.  Science and technology for water purification in the coming decades , 2008, Nature.

[8]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  Novel separation membranes based on zwitterionic colloid particles: tunable selectivity and enhanced antifouling property , 2013 .

[9]  Zagabathuni Venkata Panchakshari Murthy,et al.  A comprehensive review on anti-fouling nanocomposite membranes for pressure driven membrane separation processes , 2016 .

[10]  A. Zydney,et al.  Fouling behavior of zwitterionic membranes: Impact of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions , 2014 .

[11]  Huanting Wang,et al.  Recent developments in reverse osmosis desalination membranes , 2010 .

[12]  Xiaohong Shao,et al.  Zwitterion functionalized carbon nanotube/polyamide nanocomposite membranes for water desalination. , 2013, ACS nano.

[13]  Lin Zhang,et al.  Role of NaA zeolites in the interfacial polymerization process towards a polyamide nanocomposite reverse osmosis membrane , 2013 .

[14]  Patrick O. Saboe,et al.  Biomimetic membranes: A review , 2014 .

[15]  Eric M.V. Hoek,et al.  Interfacial polymerization of thin film nanocomposites: A new concept for reverse osmosis membranes , 2007 .

[16]  Qian Yang,et al.  Novel Membrane Adsorbers with Grafted Zwitterionic Polymers Synthesized by Surface-Initiated ATRP and Their Salt-Modulated Permeability and Protein Binding Properties , 2012 .

[17]  R. Noble,et al.  Designing the Next Generation of Chemical Separation Membranes , 2011, Science.

[18]  Peter Agre,et al.  Aquaporin water channels (Nobel Lecture). , 2004, Angewandte Chemie.

[19]  Xiao Hu,et al.  Synthesis of robust and high-performance aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes by interfacial polymerization-membrane preparation and RO performance characterization , 2012 .

[20]  Quan‐Fu An,et al.  Influence of polyvinyl alcohol on the surface morphology, separation and anti-fouling performance of , 2011 .

[21]  Shaoyi Jiang,et al.  Ultralow‐Fouling, Functionalizable, and Hydrolyzable Zwitterionic Materials and Their Derivatives for Biological Applications , 2010, Advanced materials.

[22]  Jing Zhao,et al.  Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes: Preparation and application , 2014 .

[23]  Zhen-liang Xu,et al.  Polypiperazine-amide nanofiltration membrane containing silica nanoparticles prepared by interfacial polymerization , 2012 .

[24]  Guodong Kang,et al.  Development of antifouling reverse osmosis membranes for water treatment: A review. , 2012, Water research.

[25]  Chuyang Y. Tang,et al.  Desalination by biomimetic aquaporin membranes: Review of status and prospects , 2013 .

[26]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  Fabrication and performance of a new type of charged nanofiltration membrane based on polyelectrolyte complex , 2010 .

[27]  Yung Chang,et al.  Blood‐Inert Surfaces via Ion‐Pair Anchoring of Zwitterionic Copolymer Brushes in Human Whole Blood , 2013 .

[28]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  A novel route for surface zwitterionic functionalization of polyamide nanofiltration membranes with improved performance , 2015 .

[29]  PUYAM S Singh,et al.  Synthesis of novel silica-polyamide nanocomposite membrane with enhanced properties , 2009 .

[30]  The-Vinh Nguyen,et al.  Tailoring the structure of thin film nanocomposite membranes to achieve seawater RO membrane performance. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[31]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  Novel composite nanofiltration membranes containing zwitterions with high permeate flux and improved anti-fouling performance , 2012 .

[32]  E. Hoek,et al.  Probing polyamide membrane surface charge, zeta potential, wettability, and hydrophilicity with contact angle measurements , 2010 .

[33]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  AMOC Positron Annihilation Study of Zwitterionic Nanofiltration Membranes: Correlation between Fine Structure and Ultrahigh Permeability , 2013 .

[34]  H. Park,et al.  Biomimetic Selective Ion Transport through Graphene Oxide Membranes Functionalized with Ion Recognizing Peptides , 2015 .

[35]  M. Yasui,et al.  Aquaporin water channels: atomic structure molecular dynamics meet clinical medicine. , 2002, The Journal of clinical investigation.

[36]  Wolfgang Meier,et al.  Highly permeable polymeric membranes based on the incorporation of the functional water channel protein Aquaporin Z , 2007, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[37]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  Layer-by-layer assembly of aquaporin Z-incorporated biomimetic membranes for water purification. , 2015, Environmental science & technology.

[38]  Cong-jie Gao,et al.  Study on a novel nanofiltration membrane prepared by interfacial polymerization with zwitterionic amine monomers , 2013 .

[39]  M. Ulbricht.  Advanced functional polymer membranes , 2006 .

[40]  N. Chopra,et al.  Reversible Biochemical Switching of Ionic Transport through Aligned Carbon Nanotube Membranes , 2005 .

[41]  Quan‐Fu An,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of solution-processable polyelectrolyte complexes and their homogeneous membranes. , 2009, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[42]  T. Matsuura,et al.  Surface modifications for antifouling membranes. , 2010, Chemical reviews.

[43]  L. Meagher,et al.  Interactions of phospholipid- and poly(ethylene glycol)-modified surfaces with biological systems: Relation to physico-chemical properties and mechanisms , 2003 .

[44]  I. V. Grigorieva,et al.  Precise and Ultrafast Molecular Sieving Through Graphene Oxide Membranes , 2014, Science.