Interfacially polymerized thin film nanofiltration membranes on TiO2 coated polysulfone substrate

In this study, a new approach was developed to prepare the novel thin film composite nanofiltration membranes. In this new approach, nanoparticles were coated completely under the polymeric thin film layer. Thin film composite (TFC) membranes were fabricated by interfacial polymerization on polysulfone (PSf) sublayer using m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) respectively as amine monomer and acid chloride monomer. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to study surface morphology and roughness properties of NF membranes. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) was used to analyze the elemental change before and after filtration experiment. Chemical structure and thickness of polyamide formed on TFC membranes were observed by Fourier transmission infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy. Permeability, salt rejection and pepsin macromolecule rejection of prepared membranes were tested using dead end filtration cell. Antifouling behavior of the membranes was studied by filtering pure water before and after pepsin solution filtration. A smoother and thicker surface without any defect appeared as the concentration of nanoparticle was increased. NaCl rejection was increased from 70% for neat nanofiltration membrane to 84% for 0.5 wt% TiO2 modified nanofiltration membrane. Antifouling and permeability behavior of the prepared membranes were improved in the new approach. Antibacterial property of prepared membranes was improved as a result of photocatalytic characteristic of TiO2 nanoparticles. (C) 2013 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.