Authors
Daniel W Weller, Guorong Ma, Luke A Galuska, Song Zhang, Michael Stringer, Sophia Aracri, Weiyu Wang, Kunlun Hong, Xiaodan Gu
Publication date
2021/10/13
Journal
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Volume
3
Issue
11
Pages
5666-5673
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Description
A new pore formation process was investigated for the manufacture of composite ultrafiltration membranes. Phase-separated block copolymer (BCP) thin films supported on a compliant macroporous poly(ether sulfone) (PES) support craze under tensile strain, leaving behind pores of predictable size based on the self-assembled nanoscopic domains. The high aspect ratio pores formed in this process were used to create membranes that were highly permeable (959 L/(m2 h bar) with near complete rejection of 40 nm diameter gold nanoparticles (AuNP). By use of BCP’s inherent ability to cavitate under strain, tedious block removal steps are avoided. Membranes can thus be prepared in a simple, roll-to-roll ready, one-step process. In this initial study, BCP craze formation and filtration performance were characterized for various polymer types, molecular weights, and thicknesses. All these factors influenced the BCP’s …
Total citations
202220232024123
Scholar articles