Preparation of high-performance antifouling polyphenylsulfone ultrafiltration membrane by the addition of sulfonated polyaniline

In this work, blend ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared on the basis of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU)/sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI). A synthesis method based on non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) with PPSU/SPANI dissolved in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was proposed. The self-doped SPANI was prepared as zwitterionic polymer to improve the anti-fouling property of PPSU UF membrane. The morphological characteristics and structure of the membranes were observed under a field emission scanning electron microscope. Results revealed that the membranes exhibited a typical asymmetric structure with a dense top layer and a porous structure. The BSA adsorption of the modified membranes was weaker than that of the PPSU membrane. The water permeate fluxes of the prepared membranes were higher than those of the pure PPSU membrane. The PPSU/SPANI membrane showed highly improved water flux, which was almost 2 times higher than that of the PPSU membrane, whereas the rejection of prepared membrane was still maintained at a high level. The bovine serum albumin BSA rejection rate of the membranes decreased from 99% to 96%. The surface hydrophilicity of the static contact angle of the modified membranes increased. The X-ray photoelectron spectra and surface zeta potential of the membranes were also examined. The water flux recovery ratio, total fouling ratio, reversible fouling ratio, and irreversible fouling ratio also enhanced the antifouling property of the modified membranes. The proposed method provides a simple and convenient approach to prepare antifouling UF membranes.