Functionalization of PEG-AgNPs Hybrid Material to Alleviate Biofouling Tendency of Polyethersulfone Membrane.

Fahrina, A; Arahman, N; Aprilia, S; Bilad, MR; Silmina, S; Sari, WP; Sari, IM; Gunawan, P; Pasaoglu, ME; Vatanpour, V; Koyuncu, I; Rajabzadeh, S

Functionalization of PEG-AgNPs Hybrid Material to Alleviate Biofouling Tendency of Polyethersulfone Membrane.

Fahrina, A Arahman, N Aprilia, S Bilad, MR Silmina, S Sari, WP Sari, IM Gunawan, P Pasaoglu, ME Vatanpour, V Koyuncu, I Rajabzadeh, S

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Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Polymers (Basel), 2022, 14, (9), pp. 1908
Issue Date:: 2022-05-07

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Fahrina, A
dc.contributor.author	Arahman, N
dc.contributor.author	Aprilia, S
dc.contributor.author	Bilad, MR
dc.contributor.author	Silmina, S
dc.contributor.author	Sari, WP
dc.contributor.author	Sari, IM
dc.contributor.author	Gunawan, P
dc.contributor.author	Pasaoglu, ME
dc.contributor.author	Vatanpour, V
dc.contributor.author	Koyuncu, I
dc.contributor.author	Rajabzadeh, S
dc.date.accessioned	2023-05-23T10:05:06Z
dc.date.available	2022-05-02
dc.date.available	2023-05-23T10:05:06Z
dc.date.issued	2022-05-07
dc.identifier.citation	Polymers (Basel), 2022, 14, (9), pp. 1908
dc.identifier.issn	2073-4360
dc.identifier.issn	2073-4360
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/170414
dc.description.abstract	Membrane-based processes are a promising technology in water and wastewater treatments, to supply clean and secure water. However, during membrane filtration, biofouling phenomena severely hamper the performance, leading to permanent detrimental impacts. Moreover, regular chemical cleaning is ineffective in the long-run for overcoming biofouling, because it weakens the membrane structure. Therefore, the development of a membrane material with superior anti-biofouling performance is seen as an attractive option. Hydrophilic-anti-bacterial precursor polyethylene glycol-silver nanoparticles (PEG-AgNPs) were synthesized in this study, using a sol-gel method, to mitigate biofouling on the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane surface. The functionalization of the PEG-AgNP hybrid material on a PES membrane was achieved through a simple blending technique. The PES/PEG-AgNP membrane was manufactured via the non-solvent induced phase separation method. The anti-biofouling performance was experimentally measured as the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the prepared membrane, before and after incubation in E. coli culture for 48 h. Nanomaterial characterization confirmed that the PEG-AgNPs had hydrophilic-anti-bacterial properties. The substantial improvements in membrane performance after adding PEG-AgNPs were evaluated in terms of the water flux and FRR after the membranes experienced biofouling. The results showed that the PEG-AgNPs significantly increased the water flux of the PES membrane, from 2.87 L·m-2·h-1 to 172.84 L·m-2·h-1. The anti-biofouling performance of the PES pristine membrane used as a benchmark showed only 1% FRR, due to severe biofouling. In contrast, the incorporation of PEG-AgNPs in the PES membrane decreased live bacteria by 98%. It enhanced the FRR of anti-biofouling up to 79%, higher than the PES/PEG and PES/Ag membranes.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Polymers (Basel)
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/polym14091908
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	03 Chemical Sciences, 09 Engineering
dc.title	Functionalization of PEG-AgNPs Hybrid Material to Alleviate Biofouling Tendency of Polyethersulfone Membrane.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	14
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
utslib.for	03 Chemical Sciences
utslib.for	09 Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-05-23T10:04:56Z
pubs.issue	9
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	14
utslib.citation.issue	9

Abstract:

Membrane-based processes are a promising technology in water and wastewater treatments, to supply clean and secure water. However, during membrane filtration, biofouling phenomena severely hamper the performance, leading to permanent detrimental impacts. Moreover, regular chemical cleaning is ineffective in the long-run for overcoming biofouling, because it weakens the membrane structure. Therefore, the development of a membrane material with superior anti-biofouling performance is seen as an attractive option. Hydrophilic-anti-bacterial precursor polyethylene glycol-silver nanoparticles (PEG-AgNPs) were synthesized in this study, using a sol-gel method, to mitigate biofouling on the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane surface. The functionalization of the PEG-AgNP hybrid material on a PES membrane was achieved through a simple blending technique. The PES/PEG-AgNP membrane was manufactured via the non-solvent induced phase separation method. The anti-biofouling performance was experimentally measured as the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the prepared membrane, before and after incubation in E. coli culture for 48 h. Nanomaterial characterization confirmed that the PEG-AgNPs had hydrophilic-anti-bacterial properties. The substantial improvements in membrane performance after adding PEG-AgNPs were evaluated in terms of the water flux and FRR after the membranes experienced biofouling. The results showed that the PEG-AgNPs significantly increased the water flux of the PES membrane, from 2.87 L·m-2·h-1 to 172.84 L·m-2·h-1. The anti-biofouling performance of the PES pristine membrane used as a benchmark showed only 1% FRR, due to severe biofouling. In contrast, the incorporation of PEG-AgNPs in the PES membrane decreased live bacteria by 98%. It enhanced the FRR of anti-biofouling up to 79%, higher than the PES/PEG and PES/Ag membranes.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/170414