Polysulfone Membranes Modified with Bioinspired Polydopamine
and Silver Nanoparticles Formed <i>in Situ</i> To Mitigate
Biofouling
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
The
surface of a polysulfone membrane was modified with a bioinspired
polydopamine (PDA) film followed by the <i>in situ</i> formation
of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to mitigate membrane biofouling. The
PDA modification enhanced the membrane’s bacterial anti-adhesive
properties by increasing the surface hydrophilicity, while AgNPs imparted
strong antimicrobial properties to the membrane. The AgNPs could be
generated on the membrane surface by simply exposing the membrane
to AgNO<sub>3</sub> solutions. Ag<sup>+</sup> ions were reduced by
the catechol groups in PDA; the AgNP mass loading increased with exposure
time, and the AgNPs were firmly immobilized on the membrane through
metal coordination. During leaching tests, the concentrations of Ag<sup>+</sup> ions released were 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than
the established contaminant limit for drinking water, thereby providing
a safe antimicrobial technology. This novel membrane surface modification
technique paves a way to mitigating biofouling by enhancing the membrane’s
anti-adhesive and antimicrobial properties, simultaneously