Facile surface modification of PVDF microfiltration membrane by strong physical adsorption of amphiphilic copolymers

To endow the surface of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microfiltration (MF) membranes with hydrophilicity and antifouling property, physical adsorption of amphiphilic random copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (P(PEGMA-r-MMA)) onto the PVDF membrane was performed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the adsorption process had no influence on the membrane structure. Operation parameters including adsorption time, polymer concentration, and composition were explored in detail through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), static water contact angle (CA), and water flux measurements. The results demonstrated that P(PEGMA-r-MMA) copolymers adsorbed successfully onto the membrane surface, and hydrophilicity of the PVDF MF membrane was greatly enhanced. The antifouling performance and adsorption stability were also characterized, respectively. It was notable that PVDF MF membranes modified by facile physical adsorption of P(PEGMA(58)-r-MMA(33)) even showed higher water flux and better antifouling property than the commercial hydrophilic PVDF MF membranes. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3112-3121, 2013