Antifouling polyphenylene sulfone tight-ultrafiltration membrane by co-depositing dopamine and zwitterionic polymer for efficient dye/salt separation

The exceptional hydrophilicity and charge equilibrium of zwitterionic polymers render them highly desirable as antifouling materials. In this study, a novel zwitterionic copolymer Poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate-Ethyl acrylatesulfopropyl piperidine salt) [P(AE-EA)] was successfully synthesized. Subsequently, a novel tight-ultrafiltration (t-UF) antifouling membrane employed for dye/salt separation was fabricated by co-depositing dopamine (DA) and P(AE-EA) onto the polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU) membrane substrate. The polydopamine (PDA) and P(AE-EA) are covalently linked through the formation of a covalent bond via Michael addition and Schiff base reactions. By regulating the ratio of PDA and P(AE-EA), the optimized membrane shows a denser and hydrophilic selective layer. The composition and characteristics of the membrane are investigated by serial characterization. The electrostatic adsorption between the membrane surface and the pollutant can be effectively weakened by the incorporation of a zwitterionic polymer P(AE-EA) with neutral charged and hydrophilicity. The modified membrane demonstrates exceptional antifouling performance for BSA, high rejection towards both negatively and positively charged dyes (Congo red, Methylene blue, Methyl orange and Rhodamine B), as well as efficient salt permeance for NaCl, Na2SO4, MgCl2, Mg2SO4 in comparison to that of the pure PPSU membrane. The results presented herein demonstrate the remarkable potential of the novel zwitterionic t-UF membrane for effectively separating dye/salt mixture solutions in the textile industry.