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Polymers
Special Issues
Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications
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Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 8938

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mohammad L. Hassan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cellulose and Paper Department & Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Group, National Research Centre, 12622 Giza, Egypt
Interests: cellulose chemistry and technology; nanocellulose; bionanocomposites; paper; carbohydrate polymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Membranes represent an essential component in many industries and applications. They could be used in simple purification applications such as separation and removing micron-size materials and pollutants to more advanced applications for selective separation/passage of nano-size ones, as well as ions soluble in water or other media. Advanced membranes could also be highly selective toward the separation/passage of specific materials via a proper insertion of functional groups and/or controlling their microscopic structure.  Membranes made from polymers have been used and investigated for several years; they are still at the focus of many researchers due to the huge possibilities for the preparation of new membranes materials with new functionalities using chemical and physical routes. The emergence of new technologies (electro-spinning, ultra-thin film spin-coating, etc.) to membrane manufacturing significantly amplifies the possibilities for designing novel membranes and opens avenues for more applications in different areas of our life. 

This Special Issue is dedicated to the latest cutting-edge research in the synthesis of new polymeric materials with potential use in membranes in different applications, use of recent technologies for assembling membranes with new functionalities and selectivity, recent characterization tools for membranes for a better understanding and to improve their performance, and theoretical modeling for predicting and maximizing the efficiency of membranes.

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Hassan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • membranes
  • natural polymers
  • synthetic polymers
  • modification
  • characterization
  • modeling
  • manufacturing technologies

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 4602 KiB  
Article
Hybrid PET Track-Etched Membranes Grafted by Well-Defined Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) Brushes and Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles for the Removal of As(III)
by Nursanat Parmanbek, Duygu S. Sütekin, Murat Barsbay, Anastassiya A. Mashentseva, Dmitriy A. Zheltov, Nurgulim A. Aimanova, Zhanar Ye. Jakupova and Maxim V. Zdorovets
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4026; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14194026 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1843
Abstract
Nanoporous track-etched membranes (TeM) are promising materials as adsorbents to remove toxic pollutants, but control over the pore diameter and density in addition to precise functionalization of nanochannels is crucial for controlling the surface area and efficiency of TeMs. This study reported the [...] Read more.
Nanoporous track-etched membranes (TeM) are promising materials as adsorbents to remove toxic pollutants, but control over the pore diameter and density in addition to precise functionalization of nanochannels is crucial for controlling the surface area and efficiency of TeMs. This study reported the synthesis of functionalized PET TeMs as high-capacity sorbents for the removal of trivalent arsenic, As(III), which is more mobile and about 60 times more toxic than As(V). Nanochannels of PET-TeMs were functionalized by UV-initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated grafting of 2-(dimethyamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), allowing precise control of the degree of grafting and graft lengths within the nanochannels. Ag NPs were then loaded onto PDMAEMA-g-PET to provide a hybrid sorbent for As(III) removal. The As(III) removal efficiency of Ag@PDMAEMA-g-PET, PDMAEMA-g-PET, and pristine PET TeM was compared by adsorption kinetics studies at various pH and sorption times. The adsorption of As(III) by Ag@DMAEMA-g-PET and DMAEMA-g-PET TeMs was found to follow the Freundlich mechanism and a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. After 10 h, As(III) removal efficiencies were 85.6% and 56% for Ag@PDMAEMA-g-PET and PDMAEMA-g-PET, respectively, while PET template had a very low arsenic sorption capacity of 17.5% at optimal pH of 4.0, indicating that both PDMAEMA grafting and Ag-NPs loading significantly increased the As(III) removal capacity of PET-TeMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications)
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21 pages, 4265 KiB  
Article
Modification of Polyethersulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane Using Poly(terephthalic acid-co-glycerol-g-maleic anhydride) as Novel Pore Former
by Ali A. Abbas Aljanabi, Noor Edin Mousa, Mustafa M. Aljumaily, Hasan Sh. Majdi, Ali Amer Yahya, Mohammad N. AL-Baiati, Noor Hashim, Khaild T. Rashid, Saad Al-Saadi and Qusay F. Alsalhy
Polymers 2022, 14(16), 3408; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14163408 - 20 Aug 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2302
Abstract
In this research, poly terephthalic acid-co-glycerol-g-maleic anhydride (PTGM) graft co-polymer was used as novel water-soluble pore formers for polyethersulfone (PES) membrane modification. The modified PES membranes were characterized to monitor the effect of PTGM content on their pure water flux, hydrophilicity, porosity, morphological [...] Read more.
In this research, poly terephthalic acid-co-glycerol-g-maleic anhydride (PTGM) graft co-polymer was used as novel water-soluble pore formers for polyethersulfone (PES) membrane modification. The modified PES membranes were characterized to monitor the effect of PTGM content on their pure water flux, hydrophilicity, porosity, morphological structure, composition, and performance. PTGM and PES/PTGM membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and contact angle (CA). The results revealed that the porosity and hydrophilicity of the fabricated membrane formed using a 5 wt.% PTGM ratio exhibited an enhancement of 20% and 18%, respectively. Similarly, upon raising the PTGM ratio in the casting solution, a more porous with longer finger-like structure was observed. However, at optimum PTGM content (i.e., 5%), apparent enhancements in the water flux, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and sodium alginate (SA) retention were noticed by values of 203 L/m2.h (LMH), 94, and 96%, respectively. These results illustrated that the observed separation and permeation trend of the PES/PTGM membrane may be a suitable option for applications of wastewater treatment. The experimental results suggest the promising potential of PTGM as a pore former on the membrane properties and performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications)
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13 pages, 3303 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Hollow Nanocones Membrane with an Extraordinary Surface Area as CO2 Sucker
by Waleed A. El-Said, Jin-Ha Choi, Dina Hajjar, Arwa A. Makki and Jeong-Woo Choi
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 183; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14010183 - 03 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the development of eco-friendly solid sorbents that are cost-effective, noncorrosive, have a high gas capacity, and have low renewable energy for CO2 capture. Here, we claimed the fabrication of a three-dimensional (3D) film [...] Read more.
Recently, more and more attention has been paid to the development of eco-friendly solid sorbents that are cost-effective, noncorrosive, have a high gas capacity, and have low renewable energy for CO2 capture. Here, we claimed the fabrication of a three-dimensional (3D) film of hollow nanocones with a large surface area (949.5 m2/g), a large contact angle of 136.3°, and high surface energy. The synthetic technique is based on an electrochemical polymerization process followed by a novel and simple strategy for pulling off the formed layers as a membrane. Although the polymer-coated substrates were reported previously, the membrane formation has not been reported elsewhere. The detachable capability of the manufactured layer as a membrane braked the previous boundaries and allows the membrane’s uses in a wide range of applications. This 3D hollow nanocones membrane offer advantages over conventional ones in that they combine a π-electron-rich (aromatic ring), hydrophobicity, a large surface area, multiple amino groups, and a large pore volume. These substantial features are vital for CO2 capturing and storage. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity characteristic and application of the formed polymer as a CO2 sucker were investigated. These results demonstrated the potential of the synthesized 3D hollow polymer to be used for CO2 capturing with a gas capacity of about 68 mg/g and regeneration ability without the need for heat up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications)
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17 pages, 6367 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Eco-Friendly Polyelectrolyte Membranes Based on Sulfonate Grafted Sodium Alginate for Drug Delivery, Toxic Metal Ion Removal and Fuel Cell Applications
by Raagala Vijitha, Kasula Nagaraja, Marlia M. Hanafiah, Kummara Madhusudana Rao, Katta Venkateswarlu, Sivarama Krishna Lakkaboyana and Kummari S. V. Krishna Rao
Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193293 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2329
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte membranes (PEMs) are a novel type of material that is in high demand in health, energy and environmental sectors. If environmentally benign materials are created with biodegradable ones, PEMs can evolve into practical technology. In this work, we have fabricated environmentally safe [...] Read more.
Polyelectrolyte membranes (PEMs) are a novel type of material that is in high demand in health, energy and environmental sectors. If environmentally benign materials are created with biodegradable ones, PEMs can evolve into practical technology. In this work, we have fabricated environmentally safe and economic PEMs based on sulfonate grafted sodium alginate (SA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). In the first step, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonic acid (AMPS) and sodium 4-vinylbenzene sulfonate (SVBS) are grafted on to SA by utilizing the simple free radical polymerization technique. Graft copolymers (SA-g-AMPS and SA-g-SVBS) were characterized by 1H NMR, FTIR, XRD and DSC. In the second step, sulfonated SA was successfully blended with PVA to fabricate PEMs for the in vitro controlled release of 5-fluorouracil (anti-cancer drug) at pH 1.2 and 7.4 and to remove copper (II) ions from aqueous media. Moreover, phosphomolybdic acids (PMAs) incorporated with composite PEMs were developed to evaluate fuel cell characteristics, i.e., ion exchange capacity, oxidative stability, proton conductivity and methanol permeability. Fabricated PEMs are characterized by the FTIR, ATR-FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDAX. PMA was incorporated. PEMs demonstrated maximum encapsulation efficiency of 5FU, i.e., 78 ± 2.3%, and released the drug maximum in pH 7.4 buffer. The maximum Cu(II) removal was observed at 188.91 and 181.22 mg.g–1. PMA incorporated with PEMs exhibited significant proton conductivity (59.23 and 45.66 mS/cm) and low methanol permeability (2.19 and 2.04 × 10−6 cm2/s). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Membranes: From Synthesis To Applications)
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