Polysulfone-Iron Acetate/Polyamide Nanocomposite Membrane for Oil-Water Separation

Abstract Polysulfone (PSF) membranes are widely used for water filtration, however, their hydrophobic nature limits their application in oil-water separation. Herein, we report on the preparation of hydrophilic, high-flux and mechanically-stable PSF-based membrane nanofiber. The membrane was fabricated by the electrospinning of PSF solution containing iron acetate powder followed by deposition of a polyamide (PA) layer using interfacial polymerization on both surfaces of the membrane. The resulting membranes were switched from hydrophobic (contact angle = 100 ± 7°) to hydrophilic (contact angle = 37 ± 5°) and the membrane porosity reached up to 83 ± 7 % after deposition of the PA layer. Results from field emission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed the unique nanofiber characteristics with uniform iron distributions. The resulted membrane has some improved mechanical properties as indicated by Young's modulus and mechanical strength. The membrane efficiently separated water from oil-water mixtures and the water flux of the modified membrane was three times higher than the unmodified PSF membrane in this study and also higher than previously reported membranes.