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Title: Designing a biocidal reverse osmosis membrane coating: Synthesis and biofouling properties

Abstract

In this study, a biocidal coating was developed in order to reduce biofouling on a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane using a quaternary ammonium (QA) functionalized polymer. The synthesis of a series of polysulfone (PS) ionomers with QA groups is described, and a method for spraying these QA ionomers as an alcoholic solution, which dried into water insoluble coatings. Contact angle and streaming potential were used to analyze the coating's hydrophilicity and surface charge. Both PS-QA1 and the commercial RO membrane had an apparent contact angle of 68° that increased to 126° for PS-QA12 corresponding to alkyl chain length. A negatively charged particle-probe was used to measure coated and uncoated RO membrane interaction forces. Measured interaction forces correlated strongly with the length of alkyl chains or hydrophobicity of the coated surfaces. Uncoated RO membranes and ones coated with PS-QA were exposed to suspensions of Escherichia coli cells. All four PS-QA coatings showed significant biotoxicity and killed 100% of the E. coli cells, but uncoated RO membranes had metabolically active biofilms. However, coatings tested in a RO crossflow system showed a flux reduction that is attributed to mass transfer resistance due to excessively thick films.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]
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  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
  3. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States)
  4. Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1248614
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1396531
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-10785J
Journal ID: ISSN 0011-9164; PII: S0011916415301193
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Desalination
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 380; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0011-9164
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; reverse osmosis membrane; biofouling; antibacterial activity; polycation coating; quaternary ammonium ionomer

Citation Formats

Hibbs, Michael R., McGrath, Lucas K., Kang, Seoktae, Adout, Atar, Altman, Susan J., Elimelech, Menachem, and Cornelius, Chris J. Designing a biocidal reverse osmosis membrane coating: Synthesis and biofouling properties. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2015.11.017.
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Hibbs, Michael R., McGrath, Lucas K., Kang, Seoktae, Adout, Atar, Altman, Susan J., Elimelech, Menachem, & Cornelius, Chris J. Designing a biocidal reverse osmosis membrane coating: Synthesis and biofouling properties. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2015.11.017
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Hibbs, Michael R., McGrath, Lucas K., Kang, Seoktae, Adout, Atar, Altman, Susan J., Elimelech, Menachem, and Cornelius, Chris J. Fri . "Designing a biocidal reverse osmosis membrane coating: Synthesis and biofouling properties". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2015.11.017. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1248614.
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@article{osti_1248614,
title = {Designing a biocidal reverse osmosis membrane coating: Synthesis and biofouling properties},
author = {Hibbs, Michael R. and McGrath, Lucas K. and Kang, Seoktae and Adout, Atar and Altman, Susan J. and Elimelech, Menachem and Cornelius, Chris J.},
abstractNote = {In this study, a biocidal coating was developed in order to reduce biofouling on a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane using a quaternary ammonium (QA) functionalized polymer. The synthesis of a series of polysulfone (PS) ionomers with QA groups is described, and a method for spraying these QA ionomers as an alcoholic solution, which dried into water insoluble coatings. Contact angle and streaming potential were used to analyze the coating's hydrophilicity and surface charge. Both PS-QA1 and the commercial RO membrane had an apparent contact angle of 68° that increased to 126° for PS-QA12 corresponding to alkyl chain length. A negatively charged particle-probe was used to measure coated and uncoated RO membrane interaction forces. Measured interaction forces correlated strongly with the length of alkyl chains or hydrophobicity of the coated surfaces. Uncoated RO membranes and ones coated with PS-QA were exposed to suspensions of Escherichia coli cells. All four PS-QA coatings showed significant biotoxicity and killed 100% of the E. coli cells, but uncoated RO membranes had metabolically active biofilms. However, coatings tested in a RO crossflow system showed a flux reduction that is attributed to mass transfer resistance due to excessively thick films.},
doi = {10.1016/j.desal.2015.11.017},
journal = {Desalination},
number = C,
volume = 380,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 04 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Fri Dec 04 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2015.11.017
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Robust self cleaning polypyrrole-polysulfone blend hollow fiber membrane for biofouling mitigation: Robust self cleaning polypyrrole-polysulfone blend hollow fiber membrane
    journal, May 2018

    • Mukherjee, Munmun; De, Sirshendu
    • Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, Vol. 93, Issue 11
    • DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5675

    Intercepting signalling mechanism to control environmental biofouling
    journal, August 2018

    Antifouling, fouling release and antimicrobial materials for surface modification of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes
    journal, January 2018

    • Choudhury, Rikarani R.; Gohil, Jaydevsinh M.; Mohanty, Smita
    • Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Vol. 6, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1039/c7ta08627j
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