Preparation and antifouling property of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration hybrid membrane containing halloysite nanotubes grafted with MPC via RATRP method

Abstract

Polyethersulfone ultrafiltration hybrid membrane containing halloysite nanotubes grafted with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (HNTs-MPC) was prepared via phase inversion method for the purpose of enhancing the antifouling property of the membrane. HNTs-MPC were synthesized by chemical modification of HNTs with MPC via reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP). The performance and morphology of the membranes were characterized by water contact angle and SEM. The hybrid membrane was shown to be more hydrophilic with a higher pure water flux. The thickness of the thin separating layer on the top tended to decrease with the addition of HNTs-MPC. The BSA adsorption experiment indicated that the adsorption amounts of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the membrane were dramatically decreased. BSA ultrafiltration experiment also showed that the antifouling ability of the membrane with the addition of HNTs-MPC was better than the pure PES membrane. Meanwhile, the long term ultrafiltration experiment showed that the hybrid membrane had an ideal stability. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.