A novel glue attachment approach for precise anchoring of hydrophilic EGCG to enhance the separation performance and antifouling properties of PVDF membranes

Guo Liang Zhuang, Lei Chia Wang, Yi Chen Lin, Jing Yi Li, Katerina Setnickova, Hui Hsin Tseng*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A novel glue attachment approach was proposed to form a durable hydration layer on a hydrophobic PVDF hollow fiber membrane (PVDF HFM) surface to improve its hydrophilicity and antifouling ability during wastewater filtration. The functional glue was synthesized from reclaimed styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and a hydroxyl group was created with an epoxidation reaction (ESBR). The hydrophilic epigallocatechin-s-gallate (EGCG) was then precisely anchored via hydrogen bonding with multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups in the ESBR without penetrating into the inner matrix of the PVDF to prevent flux decline. The hydrophilicity of the PVDF membrane increased drastically and the water contact angle decreased from 62.7° to 45.1° with only a 25% decline in the pure water flux. Furthermore, due to precise anchoring of the EGCG, the modified EGCG-ESBR/PVDF membrane showed a higher pure water flux (110.6 L m−2h−1) and much higher BSA and oil (kerosene) rejection rates (approximately 94.5% and 99.5%, respectively) compared to membranes directly coated with EGCG (EGCG-PVDF). Moreover, the modified membrane also showed higher water flux recovery after multiple filtration cycles. This promising and efficient hydrophilic modification suggests great potential for application of the eco-friendly material in wastewater treatment.

Original languageEnglish
Article number142585
JournalChemical Engineering Journal
Volume464
Early online date24 Mar 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 May 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Anti-fouling performance
  • Epigallocatechin gallate
  • Hydrogen bond
  • Hydrophilic surface modification
  • Reclaimed rubber

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