Preparation and characterization of superior antifouling PVDF membrane with extremely ordered and hydrophilic surface layer

Abstract Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with ordered and super hydrophilic surface were prepared though the self-assembly of anionic polyelectrolyte sodium alginate and amino functionalized SiO 2 nanoparticles, which were employed to tune the antifouling property of PVDF membrane though ordered and hydrophilic nanoscale surface. The assembly sites were introduced though the reaction between trimesoyl chloride and the reactive groups on plasma treated membrane surface. The physical and chemical properties of the membrane surface were closely related to the assembly number, since the assembled layer could effectively reduce the probability of absorption on membrane surface and entering membrane pores of pollutants to minimize the irreversible fouling at the maximum level. The modified PVDF membranes exhibited excellent hydrophilicity with obviously decreased surface contact angle, which distinctly enhanced the antifouling properties for humic acids and bovine serum albumin with secondary water flux recovery ratio (FRR) of nearly 100%. This paper aimed to provide an effective method to take the advantage of hydrophilic and ordered nanoscale surface to optimize the separation efficiency and antifouling performance of hydrophobic separation membrane.