A green fabrication method of poly (lactic acid) perforated membrane via tuned crystallization and gas diffusion process

Abstract Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) perforated membrane is typically obtained through the solvent-volatilization-induced or non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method. However, the residual organic solvents would unavoidably limit the application of PLA perforated membrane in biomedical and high-end water purification fields. Herein, an innovative solution-free method was proposed for preparing the PLA perforated membrane via a simple and environmentally friendly way. We have successfully fabricated the PLA perforated membrane using a physical foaming technique with CO2 as the blowing agent. By tuning the primary film thickness, saturation pressure, and foaming temperature, PLA perforated membrane's cell morphology could be accordingly adjusted. The PLA perforated membrane with a highly-ordered straight pore channel and high open cell content (OCC) approximately 72% was obtained under a mild condition. The formation mechanism of the PLA perforated membrane was discussed via the interaction of crystallization behavior and gas diffusion process. This green and solvent-free PLA perforated membrane possesses great potential for use in areas like the tissue engineering and high-end water purification.