Low protein fouling polypropylene membrane prepared by photoinduced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

In this study, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and N-isopropyl acrylamide was block grafted onto the polypropylene macroporous membrane surface by photo-induced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization with benzyl dithiobenzoate as the RAFT agent. The degree of grafting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) on the membrane surface increased with UV irradiation time and decreased with the chain transfer agent concentration increasing. The poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)- grafted membranes were used as macro chain transfer agent for the further block graft copolymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide in the presence of free radical initiator. The degree of grafting of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) increased with reaction time. Furthermore, the poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)- grafted membrane with a degree of grafting of 0.48% (wt) showed the highest relative pure water flux and the best antifouling characteristics of protein dispersion. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 123: 3668-3674, 2012