Although reverse osmosis (RO) is currently the most efficient method to desalinate water, membrane fouling severely reduces the economic and operational advantages over conventional technologies. We demonstrate a novel method to modify the surface of RO membranes to induce anti-fouling properties. Our method utilizes photoactive perfluorophenyl azide (PFPA) derivatives that covalently bind to the polyamide surface on the RO membrane when exposed to UV light. The modification is performed under ambient conditions, is completed in minutes, and does not require exotic reaction vessels-- a system highly compatible with the roll-to-roll manufacturing of current RO membranes. With our process, hydrophilic polyethyleneglycol �brush� polymers were grafted to the surface of commercial RO membranes. The modification was confirmed using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that PFPA derivatives bind to the commercial RO membrane through aziridine linkages. The modified membranes exhibit high fouling resistance, with minimal changes in performance and rejection of NaCl.

Scalable anti-fouling reverse osmosis membranes

248th National Meeting (2014)

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