Ndlwana Lwazi, Sikhwivhilu Keneiloe, Moutloali Richard Motlhaletsi, Ngila Jane Catherine
Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, P. O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa.
DSI/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Advanced Materials Division, Mintek, 200 Malibongwe Drive, Randburg, Johannesburg 2125, South Africa.
Membranes (Basel). 2020 Sep 14;10(9):232. doi: 10.3390/membranes10090232.
The impact of worldwide water scarcity, further exacerbated by environmental pollution, necessitates the development of effective water treatment membranes. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite membranes containing hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI) stabilized bi-and trimetallic nanoparticles. These membranes were prepared by blending a pre-grafted Polyethersulfone (PES) powder with the Pd@Fe@HPEI and Pd@FeAg@HPEI nanoparticles followed by phase inversion. The membranes, together with stabilized nanoparticles, were characterized by several analytical techniques, such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), optical contact angle (OCA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). These techniques revealed the elemental composition, zerovalent nature of the nanoparticles, and their small and even size distribution. Surface analysis showed chemical bonding between the polymeric functional groups and the supported nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanocomposite membranes were found to be hydrophilic. Additionally, the membranes were investigated for swelling (water uptake), porosity, pore size, pure water permeation fluxes, and they indicated a decreased protein adhesion property. As such, the membranes fabricated in this work indicate the required properties for application in water treatment.
全球水资源短缺的影响，又因环境污染而进一步加剧，这就需要开发有效的水处理膜。在此，我们报告了含有超支化聚乙烯亚胺（HPEI）稳定的双金属和三金属纳米颗粒的纳米复合膜的合成与表征。这些膜是通过将预接枝的聚醚砜（PES）粉末与Pd@Fe@HPEI和Pd@FeAg@HPEI纳米颗粒混合，然后进行相转化制备而成。这些膜与稳定的纳米颗粒一起，通过几种分析技术进行了表征，如衰减全反射傅里叶变换红外光谱（ATR-FTIR）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）、光学接触角（OCA）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、原子力显微镜（AFM）和高分辨率透射电子显微镜（HRTEM）。这些技术揭示了纳米颗粒的元素组成、零价性质及其小且均匀的尺寸分布。表面分析表明聚合物官能团与负载的纳米颗粒之间存在化学键合。此外，发现纳米复合膜具有亲水性。此外，还对膜的溶胀（吸水率）、孔隙率、孔径、纯水渗透通量进行了研究，结果表明其蛋白质粘附性能有所下降。因此，本工作制备的膜显示出在水处理应用中所需的性能。
