In Situ Ag-MOF Growth on Pre-Grafted Zwitterions Imparts Outstanding Antifouling Properties to Forward Osmosis Membranes

In this study, a polyamide forward osmosis membrane was functionalized with zwitterions followed by the in situ growth of metal–organic frameworks with silver as a metal core (Ag-MOFs) to improve its antibacterial and antifouling activity. First, 3-bromopropionic acid was grafted onto the membrane s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS applied materials & interfaces 2020-08, Vol.12 (32), p.36287-36300
Main Authors: Pejman, Mehdi, Dadashi Firouzjaei, Mostafa, Aghapour Aktij, Sadegh, Das, Parnab, Zolghadr, Ehsan, Jafarian, Hesam, Arabi Shamsabadi, Ahmad, Elliott, Mark, Sadrzadeh, Mohtada, Sangermano, Marco, Rahimpour, Ahmad, Tiraferri, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry
Biofouling - prevention & control
Energy, Environmental, and Catalysis Applications
Escherichia coli - drug effects
Ethylenediamines - chemistry
Filtration
Imidazoles - chemistry
Membranes, Artificial
Metal-Organic Frameworks - chemistry
Nylons - chemistry
Osmosis
Permeability
Polymers - chemistry
Propionates - chemistry
Silver - chemistry
Sulfones - chemistry
Surface Properties
Water Purification - methods
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Summary:In this study, a polyamide forward osmosis membrane was functionalized with zwitterions followed by the in situ growth of metal–organic frameworks with silver as a metal core (Ag-MOFs) to improve its antibacterial and antifouling activity. First, 3-bromopropionic acid was grafted onto the membrane surface after its activation with N,N-diethylethylenediamine. Then, the in situ growth of Ag-MOFs was achieved by a simple membrane immersion sequentially in a silver nitrate solution and in a ligand solution (2-methylimidazole), exploiting the underlying zwitterions as binding sites for the metal. The successful membrane functionalization and the enhanced surface wettability were verified through an array of characterization techniques. When evaluated in forward osmosis tests, the modified membranes exhibited high performance and improved permeability compared to pristine membranes. Static antibacterial experiments, evaluated by confocal microscopy and colony-forming unit plate count, resulted in a 77% increase in the bacterial inhibition rate due to the activity of the Ag-MOFs. Microscopy micrographs of the Escherichia coli bacteria suggested the deterioration of the biological cells. The antifouling properties of the functionalized membranes translated into a significantly lower flux decline in forward osmosis filtrations. These modified surfaces displayed negligible depletion of silver ions over 30 days, confirming the stable immobilization of Ag-MOFs on their surface.
ISSN:1944-8244
1944-8252
DOI:10.1021/acsami.0c12141