PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ION EXCHANGE MEMBRANES BASED ON POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE

A new ion exchange membrane based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and sulfonated poly(styrenedivinylbenzene) was prepared by in-situ polymerization. The incorporation of sulfonic groups into the polyvinylidene fluoride composite membrane was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (IR), ion exchange capacity (IEC) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). Area resistance, IEC and water uptake of the treated membrane were evaluated. When area resistance in NaCl aqueous solution at 25℃, IEC is as high as 2.43 millimoles per gram of the wet membrane. The hydrophilicity of PVDF membrane is also significantly improved after treatment. When 60% of crosslinked membrane was sulfonated at 80℃ for 6 h, water uptake of the treated membrane can attain 64.7%.     

SPC/PVDF membranes for emulsified oily wastewater treatment

New membranes based on sulfonated polycarbonate (SPC) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were prepared. SPC was obtained by treating polycarbonate (PC) with acetyl sulfate. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the sulfonated polymer was 0.6753 meq/g. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the SPC/PVDF membranes constituted heterogeneous blends. Porosimetric measurements by liquid–liquid displacement indicated that there is no substantial change in pore-size distribution due to growing SPC content. Membrane performance was assessed using an oil–water emulsion. Results indicated that the membranes present lower fouling as SPC content increases. When using the resistances-in-series model to quantify fouling, membranes containing 20% of SPC did not present irreversible fouling.     

Optimal method for preparing sulfonated polyaryletherketones with high ion exchange capacity by acid-catalyzed crosslinking for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Sulfonated polyaryletherketones (SPAEK) bearing four sulfonic acid groups on the phenyl side groups were synthesized. The benzophenone moiety of polymer backbone was further reduced to benzydrol group with sodium borohydride. The membranes were crosslinked by acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction without sacrifice of sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange capacity (IEC) values. Crosslinked membranes with the same IEC value but different water uptake could be prepared. The optimal crosslinking condition was investigated to achieve lower water uptake, better chemical stability (Fenton's test), and higher proton conductivity. In addition, the hydrophilic ionic channels from originally course and disordered could be modified to be narrow and continuous by this crosslinking method. The crosslinked membranes, CS4PH-40-PEKOH (IEC = 2.4 meq./g), reduced water uptake from 200 to 88% and the weight loss was reduced from 11 to 5% during the Fenton test compared to uncrosslinked one (S4PH-40-PEK). The membrane showed comparable proton conductivity (0.01–0.19 S/cm) to Nafion 212 at 80°C from low to high relative humidity (RH). Single H₂/O₂ fuel cell based on the crosslinked SPAEK with catalyst loading of 0.25 mg/cm² (Pd/C) exhibited a peak power density of 220.3 mW/cm², which was close to that of Nafion 212 (214.0 mW/cm²) at 80°C under 53% RH. These membranes provide a good option as proton exchange membrane with high ion exchange capacity for fuel cells.     

The effect of crosslinked networks with poly(ethylene glycol) on sulfonated polyimide for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

To investigate the effect of crosslinking by a hydrophilic group on a sulfonated polyimide electrolyte membrane, sulfonated polyimide end‐capped with maleic anhydride was synthesized using 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4′‐diaminobiphenyl, 2,2′‐disulfonic acid, 2‐bis [4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl] hexafluropropane and maleic anhydride. The sulfonated polyimides end‐capped with maleic anhydride were self‐crosslinked or crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. A series of the crosslinked sulfonated polyimides having various ratios of sulfonated polyimide and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate were prepared and compared with uncrosslinked and self‐crosslinked sulfonated polyimides. The synthesized sulfonated polyimide films were characterized for FTIR spectrum, thermal stability, ion exchange capacity, water uptake, hydrolytic stability, morphological structure, and proton conductivity. The formation of sulfonated polyimide was confirmed in FTIR spectrum. Thermal stability was good for all the sulfonated polyimides that exhibited a three‐step degradation pattern. Ion exchange capacity was the same for both the uncrosslinked and the self‐crosslinked sulfonated polyimides (1.30 mEq/g). When the crosslinked sulfonated polyimides with poly(ethylene glycol) were compared, the ion exchange capacity was decreased as 1.27 > 1.25 > 1.23 mEq/g and water uptake was increased as 23.8 < 24.0 < 24.3% with the increase in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate content. All the crosslinked sulfonated polyimides with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate were stable for over 200 h at 80 °C in deionized water. Morphological structure and mean intermolecular distance were obtained by WAXD. Proton conductivities were measured at 30, 50, 70, and 90 °C. The proton conductivity of the crosslinked sulfonated polyimides with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate increased with the increase in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate content despite the fact that the ion exchange capacity was decreased. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1455–1464, 2005     

Crosslinking of sulphonated poly (ether ether ketone) using aromatic bis(hydroxymethyl) compound

2,6-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-4-methyl phenol and 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl) benzene have been used as crosslinkers in sulphonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK DS 65%, IEC 1.84 mequiv./g) for the preparation of proton exchange membranes (PEMs). Crosslinking of SPEEK has been achieved by thermally activated bridging of the polymer chain with the hydroxymethyl group of crosslinker through condensation reaction with sulphonic acid group. The physico-chemical properties of uncrosslinked and crosslinked membrane were evaluated in terms of ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. The crosslinked membrane showed controlled swelling, ionic conductivity of 25–50 mS/cm at 80 °C and good mechanical properties. The chemical stability of the crosslinked membranes was studied by Fenton's test. The % loss in weight and changes in physico-chemical properties of the treated membranes were determined.     

Sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether) membranes containing perfluorocyclobutane groups for fuel cell applications

This paper describes the preparation and electrochemical properties of new proton conducting polymer membranes, sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether) membrane-containing perfluorocyclobutane (PFCB) moieties for fuel cell applications. The sulfonated polymers were prepared via thermal cyclodimerization of 9,9-bis(4-trifluorovinyloxyphenyl)fluorene and subsequent post-sulfonation using chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) as a sulfonating agent. The post-sulfonation reaction was carried out by changing the molar ratio of CSA/repeating unit of the polymer at room temperature for 5 h and the resulting sulfonated polymers showed different degrees of sulfonation (DS) and ion exchange capacities (IEC). With the increment of CSA content, the DS, IEC and water uptake of the sulfonated polymer membranes increased. Their proton conductivity was investigated as a function of temperature. The polymer membrane with an IEC value of 1.86 mmol/g showed a water content of 25% similar to Nafion-115's but showed higher proton conductivity than Nafion-115 over the temperature 25–80 °C. The polymer membrane with lower water uptake and higher IEC showed similar proton conductivity and methanol permeability to Nafion-115. These results confirmed that the sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether)-containing PFCB groups could be a promising material for fuel cell membranes.     

磺化聚芳醚砜/磺化聚酰亚胺复合质子交换膜的制备与性能研究

利用溶液浇铸法制备了一系列双磺化型磺化聚芳醚砜/磺化聚酰亚胺(SPAES/SPI)复合质子交换膜.扫描电子显微镜(SEM)结果显示复合膜不存在明显的相分离,表明二者具有很好的相容性.由于SPI的引入,复合膜在甲醇中稳定性较纯SPAES具有大幅的提高,比Nafion112低得多的甲醇吸收率表明了这些复合膜具有比后者更低的甲醇透过率.复合膜显示了与单组分膜相类似的高温分解稳定性,磺酸基团的分解温度达到了290℃以上.复合膜显示出远高于纯SPAES膜的尺寸稳定性能,在130℃高温中200h处理后,所有的复合膜均保持了高的机械性能,而此时纯SPAES膜已经溶解于水中.而且由于两种磺化聚合物间的复合,复合膜维持了较高的IEC水平,显示了较高的质子导电率,在80%相对湿度时的质子导电率与Nafion112相近,而在水中的质子导电率均高于Nafion112.     

Sulfonated polybenzimidazoles: Proton conduction and acid–base crosslinking

A series of soluble, benzimidazole‐based polymers containing sulfonic acid groups (SuPBI) has been synthesized. SuPBI membranes resist extensive swelling in water but are poor proton conductors. When blended with high ion exchange capacity (IEC) sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK), a polymer that has high proton conductivity but poor mechanical integrity, ionic crosslinks form reducing the extent of swelling. The effect of sulfonation of PBI on crosslinking in these blends was gauged through comparison with nonsulfonated analogs. Sulfonic acid groups present in SuPBI compensate for acid groups involved in crosslinking, thereby increasing IEC and proton conductivity of the membrane. When water uptake and proton conductivity were compared to the IEC of blends containing either sulfonated or nonsulfonated PBI, no noticeable distinction between PBI types could be made. Comparisons were also made between these blends and pure SPEEK membranes of similar IEC. Blend membranes exhibit slightly lower maximum proton conductivity than pure SPEEK membranes (60 vs. 75 mS cm^?1) but had significantly enhanced dimensional stability upon immersion in water, especially at elevated temperature (80 °C). Elevated temperature measurements in humid environments show increased proton conductivity of the SuPBI membranes when compared with SPEEK‐only membranes of similar IEC (c.f. 55 for the blend vs. 42 mS cm^?1 for SPEEK at 80 °C, 90% relative humidity). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3640–3650, 2010     

Synthesis and properties of sulfonated and crosslinked poly[(vinylidene fluoride)-graft-styrene] membranes

Crosslinked proton exchange membranes were prepared by electron beam grafting of styrene with divinylbenzene, DVB, or bis(vinyl phenyl)ethane, BVPE, on to poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, followed by sulfonation. The area and thickness increase, crystallinity and mechanical properties of the membranes were investigated. All these properties were influenced by the crosslinker structure and its concentration. The crosslinkers increase the final degree of grafting. For noncrosslinked membranes it was about 80% and with 10% of BVPE crosslinker about 180% after 8 hr. The area increase with grafting is very similar for the noncrosslinked membranes and the differently crosslinked membranes, but the crosslinkers reduce swelling for sulfonated membranes swelled in boiling water. DVB reduces swelling more than BVPE. With grafting, the crystallinity of the PVDF phase decreases; with 10% BVPE the decrease is smallest and with 10% DVB largest. The mechanical properties of the sulfonated swelled membranes decrease with the degree of grafting, for a 10% DVB crosslinked membrane the strength decreases to zero at degrees of grafting higher than 75%. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

含羧基交联型质子交换膜的制备及其性能

合成了一种含酯基的磺化聚合物,利用后水解的方法得到了含有羧基侧基的聚合物;将磺化聚合物与聚乙烯醇通过溶液共混,热处理后得到交联型的共混膜材料。 研究结果表明,膜材料的玻璃化转变温度(Tg)有明显的上升,证明了交联反应的发生;同时,膜的吸水率和溶胀率有一定的下降,力学性能和热稳定性也有一定的提升。 通过共价交联的方法,制备了综合性能优异的磺化聚芳醚质子交换膜材料。 在100 ℃,交联膜的质子传导率为0.072~0.065 S/cm,吸水率为51%~89%,溶胀率为19%~30%。     

新型直接交联磺化聚芳醚砜燃料电池用质子交换膜的合成及性能

以4,4′-二氟二苯砜、4,4′-联苯二酚、3,3′-二磺化-4,4′-二氟二苯砜二钠盐和三羟基苯为原料, 经高温溶液缩聚反应, 制备了一系列不同磺化度的新型交联磺化聚芳醚砜(CSPAES). 利用1H NMR和FTIR对聚合物结构进行表征. 采用溶液浇铸法制备了聚合物膜. 对膜的离子交换容量、吸水率、尺寸变化、机械性能和质子导电率进行了分析. 结果表明, 通过交联处理的磺化聚芳醚砜的水溶胀性明显降低, 当IEC为2.43时, CSPAES膜M(6/4-5)在水中的质子导电率达到260.5 mS/cm, 约为相同条件下Nafion112的2倍.     

离子型交联磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜的制备及高温燃料电池性能

以2,2′-双(4-磺基苯氧基)联苯二胺、 2-(4-氨基苯基)-5-氨基苯并咪唑和1,4,5,8-萘四甲酸二酐为单体, 通过逐步聚合和溶液成膜法制备了离子型交联磺化聚酰亚胺质子交换膜(SPI PEMs). SPI PEMs具有优异的机械性能和耐水解稳定性, 在高离子交换容量和高湿度下具有和NR212相当的质子传导性能. 电池工作温度为90 ℃时, 高加湿条件下, n(BSPOB)/n(DABI)为5/2的离子型交联SPI PEM(M1)的最大输出功率密度(W_max)为 0.93 W/cm², 高于NR212的0.86 W/cm². 当电池温度提高到110 ℃时, 所有PEMs的电池性能显著下降, M1的W_max为0.54 W/cm², 明显高于共价型交联的SPI PEM. 离子型交联的SPI PEM在110 ℃下300 h的开路电压(OCV)耐久性降低了约10%, 远高于NR212.     

Preparation and characterization of PVDF‐based blend membranes as polymer electrolyte membranes in fuel cells: Study of factor affecting the proton conductivity behavior

There is a huge demand especially for polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers to provide high performance solid polymer electrolytes for use as an electrolyte in energy supply systems. In this regard, the blending approach was used to prepare PVDF‐based proton exchange membranes and focused on the study of factor affecting the ir proton conductivity behavior. Thus, a series of copolymers consisting of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐l‐propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) as sulfonated segments were synthesized and blended with PVDF matrix in order to create proton transport sites in PVDF matrix. It was found that addition of PMMA‐co‐PAMPS and PAN‐co‐PAMPS copolymers resulted in a significant increase in porosity, which favored the water uptake and proton transport at ambient temperature. Furthermore, crystallinity degree of the PVDF‐based blend membranes was increased by addition of the related copolymers, which is mainly attributed to formation of hydrogen bonding interaction between PVDF matrix and the synthesized copolymers, and led to a slight decrease in proton conductivity behavior of blend membranes. From impedance data, the proton conductivity of the PVDF/PMMA‐co‐PAMPS and PVDF/PAN‐co‐PAMPS blend membranes increases to 10 and 8.4 mS cm⁻¹ by adding only 50% of the related copolymer (at 25°C), respectively. Also, the blend membranes containing 30% sulfonated copolymers showed a power density as high as 34.30 and 30.10 mW cm⁻² at peak current density of 140 and 79.45 mA cm⁻² for the PVDF/PMMA‐co‐PAMPS and PVDF/PAN‐co‐PAMPS blend membranes, respectively. A reduction in the tensile strength was observed by the addition of amphiphilic copolymer, whereas the elongation at break of all blend membranes was raised.     

Preparation and transport properties of PPy/PVDF composite membrane

In this work, composite cation‐exchange membrane was prepared by chemical polymerization of pyrrole on the surface of the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane using ferric ions. The changes in the surface morphologies of non‐modified and polymer‐modified PVDF membrane were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The ion‐exchange capacity, water uptake, and fixed group concentration of the composite membrane were investigated. The polypyrrole/PVDF composite membrane was used for the removal of copper (II), chromium (III), iron (III), and aluminum (III) ions from aqueous solution with Donnan dialysis experiments. The flux values (J) and recovery factors (RF) of Cu(II), Cr(III), Fe(III), and Al(III) were obtained. Because of the smaller ion charge and hydration volume, the transport of the Cu(II) ion is higher than that of the other metals. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and evaluation of commercial poly (vinylidene fluoride)‐g‐sulfonatedPolystyrene as proton exchange membrane

The possibility of developing low‐cost commercial grafted and sulfonated Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF‐g‐PSSA) membranes as proton exchange membranes for fuel cell applications have been investigated. PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes were systematically prepared and examined with the focus of understanding how the polymer microstructure (degree of grafting and sulfonation, ion‐exchange capacity, etc) affects their methanol permeability, water uptake, and proton conductivity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the changes of the membrane's microstructure after grafting and sulfonation. The results showed that the PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes exhibited good thermal stability and lower methanol permeability. The proton conductivity of PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes was also measured by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method. It was found that the proton conductivity of PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes depends on the degree of sulfonation. All the sulfonated membranes show high proton conductivity at 92°C, in the range of 27 to 235 mScm⁻¹, which is much higher than that of Nafion212 (102 mScm⁻¹ at 80°C). The results indicated that the PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes are particularly promising membranes to be used as polymer electrolyte membranes due to their excellent stability, low methanol permeability, and high proton conductivity.     

Characterizations and stability of polyimide-phosphotungstic acid composite electrolyte membranes for fuel cell

Organic-inorganic composite membranes from partially aliphatic sulfonated polyimides and heteropolyacids (HPAs) were synthesized. A series of composite membranes with varying amounts of heteropolyacid were prepared by altering the weight ratio of polyimide and HPA. The partially aliphatic sulfonated polyimides are synthesized from 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4′-diaminobiphenyl 2,2′-disulfonic acid as the sulfonated diamine, and decamethylenediamine as the aliphatic diamine. The incorporation of HPA is confirmed by FT-IR analyses. When appropriately embedded in a hydrophilic polymer matrix, the hydrated HPAs are expected to endow the composite membrane with their high proton conductivity, while retaining the desirable mechanical properties of the polymer film. These composite membranes were evaluated for thermal stability, ion exchange capacity, water uptake and proton conductivity. Also the extraction of HPA from the polyimide membranes and their stability in water were determined. Though water uptake and IEC decreased with increase in HPA content, the proton conductivity of the composite membranes increased with increase in HPA weight content. This study shows that partially aliphatic sulfonated polyimide composite membranes with HPA can be a viable substitute for Nafion^® for fuel cells which show good conductivity comparable to Nafion^®117 at temperatures nearing 100 °C, keeping in mind that polyimides have good thermal stability and low cost.     

Synthesis of ionic polybenzimidazoles with broad ion exchange capacity range for anion exchange membrane fuel cell application

In this study, new anion exchange membranes (AEM) based on crosslinked polybenzimidazole (m-PBI) with quaternary ammonium groups, crosslinkable allyl groups, and hydrophobic ethyl groups as side chains are synthesized and characterized. The AEMs are crosslinked by thermal thiol-ene reaction using a dithiol crosslinker. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values and crosslinking density were controlled by the number of quaternary ammonium groups and allyl groups, respectively. The introduction of ethyl groups improved the solubility of ionic PBIs even at very low IEC values by eliminating the hydrogen bonding interaction of imidazole rings. This method allows ionic PBIs with broad IEC values, from 0.75 to 2.55 mmol/g, to be prepared. The broad IEC values were achieved by independently controlling the numbers of quaternary ammonium groups, allyl groups, and hydrophobic ethyl groups during preparation. The crosslinked ionic PBIs revealed hydroxide conductivity from 16 to 86 mS/cm at 80°C. The wet membranes also showed excellent mechanical strength with tensile strength of 12.2 to 20.1 MPa and Young's Modulus of 0.67 to 1.45 GPa. The hydroxide conductivity of a crosslinked membrane (0.40Q0.60Et1.00Pr, IEC = 0.95 mmol/g) decreased only 7.9% after the membranes was immersed in a 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution at 80°C for 720 h. A single fuel cell based on this membrane showed a maximum peak power density of 136 mW/cm² with a current density of 377 mA /cm² at 60°C.     

Crosslinked sulfonated polyimide networks as polymer electrolyte membranes in fuel cells

Sulfonated polyimides with tertiary nitrogen in the polymer backbone were synthesized with 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4′‐diaminobiphenyl 2,2′‐disulfonic acid, 2‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane, and diaminoacrydine hemisulfate. They were crosslinked with a series of dibromo alkanes to improve the hydrolytic stability. The crosslinked sulfonated polyimide films were characterized for their thermal stability, ion‐exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, hydrolytic stability, and proton conductivity. All the sulfonated polyimides had good thermal stability and exhibited a three‐step degradation pattern. With an increase in the alkyl chain length of the crosslinker, IEC decreased as 1.23 > 1.16 > 1.06 > 1.01, and the water uptake decreased as 7.29 > 6.70 > 6.55 > 5.63. The order of the proton conductivity of the crosslinked sulfonated polyimides at 90 °C was as follows: polyimide crosslinked with dibromo butane (0.070) > polyimide crosslinked with dibromo hexane (0.055) > polyimide crosslinked with dibromo decane (0.054). The crosslinked polyimides showed higher hydrolytic stability than the uncrosslinked polyimides. Between the crosslinked polyimides, the hydrolytic stability decreased with an increase in the alkyl chain length of the crosslinker. The crosslinked and uncrosslinked sulfonated polyimides exhibited almost the same proton conductivities. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2370–2379, 2005     

填充型具有微孔结构的磺化聚芳醚砜/聚醚砜复合质子交换膜的制备及性能

制备了基于磺化聚芳醚砜(SPAES)及聚醚砜(PES)的填充型复合质子交换膜, 研究了其吸水率、 尺寸变化、 热-机械特性、 质子电导率、 甲醇透过性及稳定性等性能. 通过浸入沉淀相转化法, 采用磺化度分别为30%(S30), 40%(S40)及50%(S50)的SPAES与PES制备了系列微孔型复合质子交换膜 Sx-y(x为SPAES的磺化度, y为SPAES的质量分数); 然后利用真空抽滤法在微孔中填充S50制备了相应的填充型复合质子交换膜Sx-y+F50. 结果表明, 由于微孔的引入及皮层结构的存在, Sx-y膜在低离子交换容量(IEC)条件下仍具有较高的电导率、 优良的机械强度、 优异的化学稳定性及较低的甲醇透过性. 经S50填充后, Sx-y+F50膜的IEC及电导率明显提升, 甲醇透过率大幅下降, 但机械强度及化学稳定性未见劣化. 其中S30-40+F50膜(IEC=0.69 mmol/g)的综合性能最佳, 其质子电导率在90 ℃水中达到50.4 mS/cm; 经140 ℃水处理24 h后失重率仅为8.2%, 质子电导率降低仅9%; 经过芬顿试剂(3% H₂O₂, 20 mg/L FeSO₄, 80 ℃, 1 h)处理后失重率仅为0.66%; 甲醇透过率仅为6.8×10^-8 cm²/s.     

Enhanced antifouling performance of ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membrane by improving hydrophilicity and photocatalysis

In order to improve the antifouling performance of PVDF membrane, a novel zinc sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinylidene fluoride (ZnS/GO/PVDF) composite membrane was prepared by immersed phase inversion method. The surface morphology, crystal structure, photocatalytic activity, and antifouling property of the as‐prepared membranes were systematically studied. Results showed that the ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membranes were successfully fabricated with uniform surface. The hybrid membrane surface possessed higher hydrophilicity with water contact angle decreasing from 77.1° to 62.2°. The permeability of the hybrid membrane was therefore enhanced from 222.9 to 326.1 L/(m² hour). Moreover, bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention experiment showed that the hybrid membrane separation was also promoted by 7.2%. The blending of ZnS and GO enhanced the hydrophilic and photocatalytic performances of PVDF membrane, which mitigated the membrane fouling effectively. This novel hybrid membrane could accelerate the practical application of photocatalytic technology in membrane separation process.