Zwitterionic Polymer Brush Grafted on Polyvinylidene Difluoride Membrane Promoting Enhanced Ultrafiltration Performance with Augmented Antifouling Property

Superhydrophilic zwitterions on the membrane surface have been widely exploited to improve antifouling properties. However, the problematic formation of a <20 nm zwitterionic layer on the hydrophilic surface remains a challenge in wastewater treatment. In this work, we focused on the energy consumption and time control of polymerization and improved the strong hydrophilicity of the modified polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. The sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) monomer was treated with UV-light through polymerization on the PVDF membrane at a variable time interval of 30 to 300 s to grow a poly-SBMA (PSBMA) chain and improve the membrane hydrophilicity. We examined the physiochemical properties of as-prepared PVDF and PVDF–PSBMA(x) using numeric analytical tools. Then, the zwitterionic polymer with controlled performance was grafted onto the SBMA through UV-light treatment to improve its antifouling properties. The PVDF–PSBMA(120s) modified membrane exhibited a greater flux rate and indicated bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection performance. PVDF–PSBMA(120s) and unmodified PVDF membranes were examined for their antifouling performance using up to three cycles dynamic test using BSA as foulant. The PVDF-modified PSBMA polymer improved the antifouling properties in this experiment. Overall, the resulting membrane demonstrated an enhancement in the hydrophilicity and permeability of the membrane and simultaneously augmented its antifouling properties.