Efficacy of MOF-199 in improvement of permeation, morphological, antifouling and antibacterial characteristics of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes
Abstract
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are widely explored for advances in hybrid membranes because of their bonding and favourable attraction in polymers. In particular, hybrid polymeric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are fabricated using engineered MOFs as fillers with the aim of long-standing water treatment. The hydrophilic MOF-199 was synthesized by a facile method at room temperature and incorporated with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) casting solution to create novel hybrid PVDF/MOF-199 UF membranes via a phase inversion method. The hybrid UF membranes showed higher pure water permeation of 187 L m−2 h−1, which is 2.8 times greater than that of a pristine PVDF membrane, and the water contact angle is decreased to 53.5°. The porosity also increased due to an enhancement in hydrophilicity and also retains the rejection property for contaminants such as BSA and HA at their limits, indicating a good trade-off between permeability and rejection. The permeability results are in good agreement with the surface morphology and roughness of the membranes, as shown in the SEM and AFM images, respectively. Contact angle images and TGA studies established the hydrophilicity and thermal stability of the hybrid membranes. BSA and HA permeation studies revealed antiorganic fouling while a zone test clearly demonstrated antibiofouling by the hybrid UF membranes. Overall, the PVDF/MOF-199 hybrid membranes are found to have potential for use in industrial and domestic water treatment.
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