Hydrophilic modification of polypropylene ultrafiltration membrane by air‐assisted polydopamine coating

Coating by a mussel inspired polydopamine (PDA) is a simple and promising strategy to modify the hydrophilicity of polymer membrane surfaces. In this work, PDA coating was used to modify polypropylene (PP) ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane. PDA coating parameters, ie, solution concentration and coating time were varied, and the effect of those parameters on membrane morphology, porosity, water contact angle, and pure water flux was investigated. In addition, air‐assisted PDA coating process was also conducted by channelling the air through PP membrane to avoid pore blocking and prevent water flux decline. The results showed that PDA coating successfully improved the hydrophilicity of PP membrane indicated by the decrease of water contact angle from 110° to 67° after coated by 3 g/L of PDA solution for 3 hours. The addition of air permeation on membrane lumen also increased pure water flux up to 511.2 L/m².h, a 270% increase from unmodified PP membrane. It might be associated to the pore blocking prevention that has been proven by SEM image and the membrane porosity that was increased about 4%.     

Effect of polydopamine on quaternized poly(ether ether ketone) for antibiofouling anion exchange membrane in microbial fuel cell

Biofouling of anion exchange membranes is a matter of concern in microbial fuel cell. In the present study, we have attempted to improve the antibiofouling potential of anion exchange membrane by using quaternized poly(ether ether ketone) (QPEEK) with surface modification by polydopamine. It is well known that the antiadhesion test tops the list in measuring the antibiofouling potential of the membrane and hence studied. In addition, the effect of dopamine concentration on membrane hydrophilicity and surface roughness was also discussed. From the data, it was clear that power density in all microbial fuel cells showed the highest in the sixth batch and thereafter declined, although at a varying rate. As predicted, QPEEK‐1.0 registered the least. The power density suffered a loss of 918 to 897 mW m⁻² in the case of QPEEK‐1.0, which is the minimum and the same for QPEEK; QPEEK‐0.5 and AMI‐7001 were 918 to 869 mW m⁻², 917 to 885 mW m⁻², and 578 to 537 mW m⁻², respectively. A least value of protein content was obtained for QPEEK‐1.0 (0.21 ± 0.05 g cm⁻²), and the same for QPEEK‐0.5, QPEEK, and AMI 7001 were found to be 0.37 ± 0.05 g cm⁻², 0.78 ± 0.09 g cm⁻², and 1.4 ± 0.11 g cm⁻², respectively. In comparison, the antibiofouling potential of modified membranes was found to be higher than that of unmodified QPEEK and commercially available AMI 7001. The internal resistance values also confirmed that modification with PDA prevents bacteria adhesion leading to high antibiofouling potential.     

Effect of membrane parameters on the size and uniformity in preparing agarose beads by premix membrane emulsification

Agarose microbeads were prepared by premix membrane emulsification with Shirasu-Porous Glass (SPG) membrane and Polyethylene (PE) membrane. The effects of membrane parameters, including pore size, pore size distribution, contact angle between membrane surface and the water phase, shape of pore opening and membrane thickness on size and uniformity of agarose beads were investigated in this study. The results showed that pore size distribution and shape of pore opening did not affect the emulsification results apparently within a wide range in premix membrane emulsification, not as the result in general emulsification. The contact angle between the water phase and the membrane surface must be large enough to obtain uniform-sized agarose beads in both direct membrane emulsification and premix membrane emulsification. The results also showed that the membrane pore size and thickness affected the size distribution of emulsion. Thicker membrane resulted in more uniform and smaller emulsion when the number of pass through membrane is controlled. There was a linear relationship between the number average diameter of agarose beads and membranes pores size in premix membrane emulsification. Agarose beads with diameters from 3.06 to 9.02 μm were prepared by controlling membranes pore size. The ratio of the number average diameter of agarose beads to membrane pore diameters was found to be 0.486.     

Multi-stage premix membrane emulsification for preparation of agarose microbeads with uniform size

Uniform-sized agarose beads with diameters less than 10 μm and agarose content as high as 14 wt% were prepared by premix membrane emulsification. Agarose aqueous solution was used as the water phase. A mixture of liquid paraffin and petroleum ether containing hexaglycerin penta ester (PO-500) was used as the oil phase. The water phase was mixed with the oil phase at 60 °C and a coarse W/O emulsion was produced in a homogenizer. Then, the coarse emulsion was extruded through a hydrophobic membrane under high pressure to form an emulsion, which was slowly cooled under gentle agitation to form gel beads. The effects of preparation conditions on emulsification results were investigated and it showed that the pressure, number of passes, petroleum ether/liquid paraffin (v/v) in the oil phase, the concentration of PO-500 and concentration of agarose in the water phase, all affected the size and uniformity; coarse emulsion did not affect the emulsification results. The coefficient variation (C.V.) of agarose beads under optimal preparation conditions was 9.8%. This method realized microbeads with both uniform sizes and high agarose contents that are difficult to be prepared by conventional emulsion methods.     

Microcapsule synthesis via RAFT photopolymerization in vegetable Oil as a green solvent

Polymeric capsules with an aqueous core have great potential for a wide range of applications, for example food/biomedical applications. However, synthesis of such capsules often involves the use of toxic organic solvents. Herein, an organic solvent‐free approach is developed for the synthesis of polymeric microcapsules with an aqueous core. The method is based on RAFT polymerization of divinyl monomer around the periphery of inverse emulsion water droplets acting as templates, with an amphiphilic macroRAFT species fulfilling the dual roles of RAFT agent and colloidal stabilizer. Vegetable oils, which are non‐toxic and renewable, are used as the continuous phase of these inverse emulsions, which are prepared using membrane emulsification to control the emulsion droplet size and size distribution. Relatively monodisperse emulsions with tunable droplet size in the range of approximately 10–30 µm are prepared, followed by the RAFT polymerization step to generate polymeric microcapsules having similar size as the initial droplets. This approach will be beneficial for various applications where toxic solvents need be minimized or removed completely to avoid adverse effects. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 831–839     

Synthesis of gold/polydopamine composite surfaces on glass substrates for localized surface plasmon resonance and catalysis

Composite materials of polydopamine (PDA) and gold nanoparticles on glass substrates (Au/PDA@slide) were obtained via a simple chemical process. First, PDA films (PDA@slide) were formed by immersing slides in 20 mg ml⁻¹ dopamine aqueous solution at pH = 8.5 for 1 h. Then, PDA@slide was dipped in 0.02 M chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) aqueous solution for a certain time, Au/PDA@slide being formed. Gold nanoparticles were obtained by the reductive properties of PDA. The morphology and chemical composition of the composite material were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic properties of Au/PDA@slide were evaluated using the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) aqueous solution at room temperature. The catalytic activity of the optimal Au/PDA@slide was so satisfactory that the reduction of 4‐NP was completed within 10 min. Moreover, the Au/PDA@slide composite material was stable up to five cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity. In addition, Au/PDA@slide also exhibited photocatalytic ability, photodegrading 2.5 ml of 17.5 mg l⁻¹ methyl orange in 100 min. By measuring the UV–visible absorption bands of Au/PDA@slide, it was proved that the condition of the strongest surface plasmon resonance of Au/PDA@slide was the optimal condition for catalytic reduction of 4‐NP.     

Tailoring pore size and pore size distribution of kidney dialysis hollow fiber membranes via dual-bath coagulation approach

Polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes for kidney dialysis application were prepared by the dry-jet wet-spinning method. A dual-coagulation bath technology was first time employed for fabricating the kidney dialysis membranes with a tight inner skin and loose outer supporting layer structure. A weak coagulant isopropanol (IPA) was served as the first external coagulation bath, while water as the second bath. Experiments demonstrate their advantages of better controlling both inner and outer skin morphology. The as-spun fibers have a higher mean effective pore size (μ_p), pure water permeation flux (PWP) and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) with an increase in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) percentage in bore fluid (i.e., internal coagulant). After being treated in 8000 ppm NaOCl solution for 1 day, fibers show larger pore sizes and porosity in both inner and outer surfaces, and thinner inner and outer layers than their as-spun counterparts. Among them, the bleached fibers spun with 50 wt.% NMP in bore fluid have the MWCO (43 kDa) and PWP (40 × 10⁻⁵ L m⁻² Pa⁻¹ h⁻¹) suitable for kidney dialysis application. Based on SEM observations and solute rejection performance, the further heat treated fibers in an aqueous solution is found to be an effective way to fine tune membranes morphology and MWCO for kidney dialysis application. The solute rejection performance data of the hollow fiber membranes spun with 55 wt.% NMP in bore fluid after heat treated at 90 °C in water for 2 h were found to be very appropriate for the kidney dialysis application.     

Permeability of hydrophilic and hydrophobic Shirasu-porous-glass (SPG) membranes to pure liquids and its microstructure

Morphological properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic Shirasu-porous-glass (SPG) membranes were investigated over a wide range of mean pore sizes (0.252–20.3 μm) by liquid permeability measurements, scanning electron microscopy and Hg porosimetry. Hydrophobic modification of membrane surface was made by surface coating with silicone resin. The results are discussed using the non-uniform capillary bundle model of membrane permeability. The mean pore tortuosity of 1.28 was kept constant over the whole range of mean pore sizes investigated. The SEM images confirmed that the geometry of pore network was similar for all SPG membranes, irrespective of their mean pore size. The span of pore size distribution ranged from 0.28 to 0.68 and the number of pores per unit cross-sectional membrane area from 10⁹ to 10¹³ m⁻². The membrane resistance was unchanged after surface treatment with silicone resin, which means that the pores were not plugged by the resin, even in the submicron range of mean pore sizes.     

乳状液膜法分离水中的铬

乳状液膜法由于其独特的物理化学性质,已广泛用于金属离子的萃取分离[1～3]。本文以span80-煤油-NaOH液膜体系分离水中铬。不加流动载体,利用内、外相中被分离物的浓度梯度实现物质迁移。当Cr2O2-7进入内相时,与内相的NaOH发生反应,在内相高浓度的NaOH存在下,可保持Cr2O2-7在液膜两侧有最大的浓度梯度,促使Cr2O2-7的迁移,实现Cr2O2-7与外相溶液的分离。1　实验部分1 1　仪器与试剂D40-1型电动搅拌器(杭州仪表电机厂),78-1型磁力加热搅拌器(江苏金坛新一佳仪器厂),721型分光光度计(上海第三分析仪器厂)。铬标准溶液(100ml/L):准…     

乳液聚合法制备纳米金/聚苯乙烯复合粒子

以氯金酸为前驱体,十二烷基硫醇和硼氢化钠分别作为稳定剂和还原剂,采用相转移法制备了单分散的金纳米粒子.将金纳米粒子通过乳液聚合的方法制备了纳米金/聚苯乙烯复合粒子.通过紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)研究了纳米金和纳米金/聚苯乙烯复合粒子的光吸收特性,使用傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和动态光散射(DLS)对产物的组成、晶体结构、形貌、以及粒径进行了表征.结果表明,复合粒子为粒径分布较窄的球形,其中的金纳米粒子为面心立方结构.热失重分析(TGA)说明制备的纳米金/聚苯乙烯复合粒子具有很好的热稳定性.     

铜在乳状液膜体系中的迁移行为

近年来膜分离技术在环境治理方面得到广泛应用。本文研究了铜在span80-TBP（磷酸三丁酯）-煤油-NH3液膜分离体系中的迁移行为。用TBP作为载体,在溶液中迁移时,在外相与膜相界面上形成中性络合物后穿过膜相,在膜相与内相界面上络合物再与NH3反应,生成铜氨络离子,释放出来的TBP又返回膜相。     

Low-energy formation of edible nanoemulsions: Factors influencing droplet size produced by emulsion phase inversion

Nanoemulsions can be used for the encapsulation and oral delivery of bioactive lipophilic components, such as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. There is growing interest in the utilization of low-energy methods to produce edible nanoemulsions. In this study, we examined the influence of system composition and preparation conditions on the formation of edible nanoemulsions by the emulsion phase inversion (EPI) method. The EPI method involves titrating an aqueous phase (water) into an organic phase (oil + hydrophilic surfactant). The influence of oil type, surfactant type, surfactant-to-oil ratio (SOR), and initial surfactant location on the particle size distributions of the emulsions was studied. The droplet size produced by this method depended on: (i) oil type: medium chain triglycerides (MCT) < flavor oils (orange and limonene) < long chain triglycerides (olive, grape, sesame, peanut and canola oils); (ii) surfactant type: Tween 80 < Tween 20 < Tween 85; (iii) surfactant concentration: smaller droplets were produced at higher SOR; (iv) surfactant location: surfactant initially in oil < surfactant initially in water. The low energy method (EPI) was also compared to a high energy method (microfluidization). Small droplets (d < 160 nm) could be produced by both methods, but much less surfactant was needed for the high energy method (SOR ? 0.1) than the low energy method (SOR ? 0.7).     

Enhanced interaction in the polyimide/sepiolite hybrid films via acid activating and polydopamine coating of sepiolite

We aimed at enhancing interaction in the polyimide/sepiolite hybrid films with the loading of sepiolite in the polyimide matrix ranged from 0 to 8 wt% via acid activating and polydopamine doping. First, sepiolite was treated with a 3M HCl solution under reflux conditions. Then the acid‐activated sepiolite was coated by mussel‐inspired polydopamine under alkaline conditions. The coated polydopamine was found to successfully enhance dispersibility of sepiolite in the polyimide matrix. The modification of the sepiolite in the hybrid films was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that polydopamine coating could increase interaction between the polyimide matrix and sepiolite.     

粒径单分散克拉霉素缓释微球的制备研究

采用膜乳化法结合液中干燥法制备了克拉霉素乙基纤维素微球,当膜孔径为2.8及5.4μm、乙基纤维素浓度为5％～6％及投药量为1:2时,制得的克拉霉素乙基纤维素微球的载药量、包封率及收率均最高.考察了克拉霉素乙基纤维素微球的缓控释性能,结果表明:膜乳化法制得的克拉霉素乙基纤维素微球的缓控释效果明显优于溶剂挥发法,且膜孔径为...     

Span80-TBP-NaOH体系破乳方法及膜内反应研究

采用Span80-TBP-NaOH体系乳状液膜法提取红土矿浸出液中的镍,对提取分离后的乳液进行破乳实验,经过加热-离心联合破乳法,破乳率可达90%.通过比较提取镍前后,乳液的红外光谱图,证明了膜内反应的发生;通过比较原始油相和破乳后油相的红外光谱图,证明了破乳后油相的重复利用性.     

Performance of a rotating membrane emulsifier for production of coarse droplets

A versatile and high capacity membrane emulsification system which utilises a rotating membrane for the precision manufacture of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions is investigated. The o/w emulsions produced used a low viscosity paraffin wax as the dispersed phase, Tween 20 or sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as the emulsifier and carbomer as the stabiliser, respectively. The ability to generate coarse monodisperse emulsions was demonstrated with droplets of average diameter 80–570 μm and coefficient of variation ranging from 9.8% to 33.6%. The effects of key process parameters on the droplet size and distribution are discussed, including requirements for future developments of the membrane.     

Synthesis of ZnO/polystyrene composites particles by Pickering emulsion polymerization

ZnO/polystyrene composite particles were synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization. ZnO nanoparticles were first prepared by reaction of zinc acetate and sodium hydroxide in ethanol medium. Then different amount of styrene monomer was emulsified in water in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles either by mechanical stirring or by sonication, followed by polymerization of styrene. Two kinds of initiators were used to start the polymerization, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and potassium persulfate (KPS). The X-ray diffraction pattern verified the crystal structure of ZnO and FT-IR spectra evidenced the existence of ZnO and polystyrene (PS) in ZnO/polystyrene composite particles. Different morphologies were observed for the composite particles when using different initiators. From TEM photographs, AIBN-initiated system produced mainly core-shell composite particles with PS as core and ZnO as shell, while KPS-initiated system showed both composite particles and pure PS particles. Two schemes of reaction mechanism were proposed to explain the morphologies accordingly. Both systems of composite particles showed good pH adjusting ability.     

Silver Hollow Microspheres: Large-scale Synthesis, Characterization and Electromagnetic Shielding Property

A facile and large-scale synthesis method to fabricate silver hollow microspheres with controllable morphologies and shell thickness is described using low-cost glass microspheres as templates. The method mainly involves two steps of the preparation of silver-coated glass microsphere core-shell particles by a controllable liquid reduced reaction of Ag[(NH3)2]+ solution, which only produces silver nanoparticles anchored on the surface of the thiolated glass microsphere templates, and the removal of glass microspheres by wet chemical etching with HF solution. The products are well characterized by field emitted scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmitted electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) etc. The as-prepared core-shell particles and hollow particles have even and compact silver shells. The electromagnetic shielding coatings based on the silver hollow microspheres are demonstrated to have high conductivity, excellent shielding effectiveness and long durability, suggesting that the silver hollow microspheres obtained here are a novel light-weight electromagnetic shielding filler and will have extensive applications in the electromagnetic compatibility fields.     

Anionic/nonionic mixed surfactants templates preparation of hollow polymer spheres via emulsion polymerization

We herein report a facile, convenient, and economical method to prepare hollow polymer spheres (HSs). By virtue of the phase transformation of nonionic surfactant at its cloud point, hollow spheres of polystyrene were prepared from vesicle templates formed by potassium oleate (KO) and alkyl‐phenol polyoxyethylene (n ) ether (n = 10, OP) at 70–80 °C. The morphologies of the HSs were characterized by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The diameter of the HSs varies from 200 to 800 nm, and the shell thickness is uniformly c.a. 30–50 nm. The weight ratio of monomer/surfactant was as high as 7/1. The microstructure of the HSs was very stable and remained unchanged after drying or resuspension in water. The mechanism of the formation of HSs was explained on the theory of vesicles. Furthermore, the factors affecting the formation of the hollow structure were discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2533–2541, 2006     

Concentration of amino acids by a liquid emulsion membrane with a cationic extractant

The concentration of -phenylalanine in a liquid emulsion membrane system was studied using a cation complexing agent, di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), as a carrier. The membrane formulation, the pH in the internal phase of the acid concentration in the external phase were optimized with respect to concentration performance and membrane stability. It was found that a liquid emulsion membrane obtained by demulsification of the emulsion by an electrostatic coalescer could be reused. Based on the laboratory tests, a continuous multistage process for the concentration of amino acids was proposed (with the development of a commercial process in mind) and its technical feasibility was discussed.