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Polymers
Special Issues
Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015
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Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 April 2016) | Viewed by 57411

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Scott M. Husson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909, USA
Interests: adsorptive membranes; bioseparations; confocal microscopy; electrospinning; membrane chromatography; polymer thin films; surface modification; thin-film composite membranes; water purification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Synthetic membranes are used in such diverse applications as biomanufacturing, environmental restoration, gas separations, medicine, and water recovery and purification. In many cases, a thin, polymeric or mixed-matrix type discriminating layer or coating provides the membrane functionality needed for the application. The role of this polymer thin film or coating may be to perform a selective separation, to prevent fouling of a membrane surface, or even to detect a molecule as the recognition element of a membrane-based sensor. Our understanding and design of membrane systems therefore requires knowledge of the relationships among polymer thin film structure, chemistry, and membrane performance.

This Special Issue explores the fundamental principles and applications of polymer thin films in membrane science and engineering. The scope includes studies on polymer thin-film composite membrane formation; experimental and theoretical analyses of permeation, selectivity, and physicochemical processes, such as plasticization and aging in thin-film composite membranes; novel membrane coating strategies; application of polymer thin-film coatings for controlling membrane fouling; application of polymer thin-film coatings for the production of membrane adsorbers; and membrane processes and applications where the focus is on the role of a polymer thin-film layer or coating.

Prof. Dr. Scott M. Husson
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

  • thin-film composite
  • mixed matrix membrane
  • surface modification
  • water treatment
  • membrane fouling
  • gas separation
  • carbon capture
  • physical aging
  • responsive membrane

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

6010 KiB  
Article
Photothermal Effects and Applications of Polydimethylsiloxane Membranes with Carbon Nanoparticles
by Reinher Pimentel-Domínguez, Amado M. Velázquez-Benítez, J. Rodrigo Vélez-Cordero, Mathieu Hautefeuille, Francisco Sánchez-Arévalo and Juan Hernández-Cordero
Polymers 2016, 8(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8040084 - 23 Mar 2016
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7960
Abstract
The advent of nanotechnology has triggered novel developments and applications for polymer-based membranes with embedded or coated nanoparticles. As an example, interaction of laser radiation with metallic and carbon nanoparticles has shown to provide optically triggered responses in otherwise transparent media. Incorporation of [...] Read more.
The advent of nanotechnology has triggered novel developments and applications for polymer-based membranes with embedded or coated nanoparticles. As an example, interaction of laser radiation with metallic and carbon nanoparticles has shown to provide optically triggered responses in otherwise transparent media. Incorporation of these materials inside polymers has led to generation of plasmonic and photothermal effects through the enhanced optical absorption of these polymer composites. In this work, we focus on the photothermal effects produced in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes with embedded carbon nanoparticles via light absorption. Relevant physical parameters of these composites, such as nanoparticle concentration, density, geometry and dimensions, are used to analyze the photothermal features of the membranes. In particular, we analyze the heat generation and conduction in the membranes, showing that different effects can be achieved and controlled depending on the physical and thermal properties of the composite material. Several novel applications of these light responsive membranes are also demonstrated, including low-power laser-assisted micro-patterning and optomechanical deformation. Furthermore, we show that these polymer-nanoparticle composites can also be used as coatings in photonic and microfluidic applications, thereby offering an attractive platform for developing light-activated photonic and optofluidic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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2747 KiB  
Article
Polymer Inclusion Membranes (PIM) for the Recovery of Potassium in the Presence of Competitive Cations
by Anna Casadellà, Olivier Schaetzle, Kitty Nijmeijer and Katja Loos
Polymers 2016, 8(3), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8030076 - 15 Mar 2016
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 12185
Abstract
Potassium is an important nutrient used in fertilizers but is not always naturally available We investigated the properties of polymer inclusion membranes (PIM) regarding their selective recovery of K+ over competitive ions typically present in urine (Na+ and NH4+ [...] Read more.
Potassium is an important nutrient used in fertilizers but is not always naturally available We investigated the properties of polymer inclusion membranes (PIM) regarding their selective recovery of K+ over competitive ions typically present in urine (Na+ and NH4+). The greatest flux was observed when the ratio of mass 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (2-NPOE) used as plasticizer to cellulose triacetate (CTA) used as polymer was 0.25. The highest flux was achieved with a content of 24.8 wt % of dicyclohexan-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) used as carrier, although the highest selectivity was observed with a content of 14.0 wt % of DCH18C6. We also studied whether the transport mechanism occurring in our system was based on co-transport of a counter-ion or ion exchange. Two different receiving phases (ultrapure water and 100 mM HCl) were tested. Results on transport mechanisms suggest that co-transport of cations and anions is taking place across our PIMs. The membrane deteriorated and lost its properties when the receiving phase was acidic; we suggested that this was due to hydrolysis of CTA. The greatest flux and selectivity were observed in ultrapure water as receiving phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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10255 KiB  
Article
Development of PVDF Membrane Nanocomposites via Various Functionalization Approaches for Environmental Applications
by Douglas M. Davenport, Minghui Gui, Lindell R. Ormsbee and Dibakar Bhattacharyya
Polymers 2016, 8(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8020032 - 27 Jan 2016
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 9423
Abstract
Membranes are finding wide applications in various fields spanning biological, water, and energy areas. Synthesis of membranes to provide tunable flux, metal sorption, and catalysis has been done through pore functionalization of microfiltration (MF) type membranes with responsive behavior. This methodology provides an [...] Read more.
Membranes are finding wide applications in various fields spanning biological, water, and energy areas. Synthesis of membranes to provide tunable flux, metal sorption, and catalysis has been done through pore functionalization of microfiltration (MF) type membranes with responsive behavior. This methodology provides an opportunity to improve synthetic membrane performance via polymer fabrication and surface modification. By optimizing the polymer coagulation conditions in phase inversion fabrication, spongy polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with high porosity and large internal pore volume were created in lab and full scale. This robust membrane shows a promising mechanical strength as well as high capacity for loading of adsorptive and catalytic materials. By applying surface modification techniques, synthetic membranes with different functionality (carboxyl, amine, and nanoparticle-based) were obtained. These functionalities provide an opportunity to fine-tune the membrane surface properties such as charge and reactivity. The incorporation of stimuli-responsive acrylic polymers (polyacrylic acid or sodium polyacrylate) in membrane pores also results in tunable pore size and ion-exchange capacity. This provides the added benefits of adjustable membrane permeability and metal capture efficiency. The equilibrium and dynamic binding capacity of these functionalized spongy membranes were studied via calcium ion-exchange. Iron/palladium catalytic nanoparticles were immobilized in the polymer matrix in order to perform the challenging degradation of the environmental pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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2292 KiB  
Article
Improving the Performances of Random Copolymer Based Organic Solar Cells by Adjusting the Film Features of Active Layers Using Mixed Solvents
by Xiangwei Zhu, Kun Lu, Benzheng Xia, Jin Fang, Yifan Zhao, Tianyi Zhao, Zhixiang Wei and Lei Jiang
Polymers 2016, 8(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8010004 - 29 Dec 2015
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 9211
Abstract
A novel random copolymer based on donor–acceptor type polymers containing benzodithiophene and dithienosilole as donors and benzothiazole and diketopyrrolopyrrole as acceptors was designed and synthesized by Stille copolymerization, and their optical, electrochemical, charge transport, and photovoltaic properties were investigated. This copolymer with high [...] Read more.
A novel random copolymer based on donor–acceptor type polymers containing benzodithiophene and dithienosilole as donors and benzothiazole and diketopyrrolopyrrole as acceptors was designed and synthesized by Stille copolymerization, and their optical, electrochemical, charge transport, and photovoltaic properties were investigated. This copolymer with high molecular weight exhibited broad and strong absorption covering the spectra range from 500 to 800 nm with absorption maxima at around 750 nm, which would be very conducive to obtaining large short-circuits current densities. Unlike the general approach using single solvent to prepare the active layer film, mixed solvents were introduced to change the film feature and improve the morphology of the active layer, which lead to a significant improvement of the power conversion efficiency. These results indicate that constructing random copolymer with multiple donor and acceptor monomers and choosing proper mixed solvents to change the characteristics of the film is a very promising way for manufacturing organic solar cells with large current density and high power conversion efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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2084 KiB  
Article
Tailoring Membrane Surface Charges: A Novel Study on Electrostatic Interactions during Membrane Fouling
by Daniel Breite, Marco Went, Andrea Prager and Agnes Schulze
Polymers 2015, 7(10), 2017-2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym7101497 - 19 Oct 2015
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 10083
Abstract
In this work we aim to show that the overall surface potential is a key factor to understand and predict anti-fouling characteristics of a polymer membrane. Therefore, polyvinylidene fluoride membranes were modified by electron beam-induced grafting reactions forming neutral, acidic, alkaline or zwitterionic [...] Read more.
In this work we aim to show that the overall surface potential is a key factor to understand and predict anti-fouling characteristics of a polymer membrane. Therefore, polyvinylidene fluoride membranes were modified by electron beam-induced grafting reactions forming neutral, acidic, alkaline or zwitterionic structures on the membrane surface. The differently charged membranes were investigated regarding their surface properties using diverse analytical methods: zeta potential, static and dynamic water contact angle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Porosimetry measurements proved that there is no pore blocking due to the modifications. Monodisperse suspensions of differently charged polystyrene beads were synthesized by a radical emulsion polymerization reaction and were used as a model fouling reagent, preventing comparability problems known from current literature. To simulate membrane fouling, different bead suspensions were filtered through the membranes. The fouling characteristics were investigated regarding permeation flux decline and concentration of model fouling reagent in filtrate as well as by SEM. By considering electrostatic interactions equal to hydrophobic interactions we developed a novel fouling test system, which enables the prediction of a membrane’s fouling tendency. Electrostatic forces are dominating, especially when charged fouling reagents are present, and can help to explain fouling characteristics that cannot be explained considering the surface wettability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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1732 KiB  
Communication
Biocatalytic Self-Cleaning Polymer Membranes
by Agnes Schulze, Astrid Stoelzer, Karl Striegler, Sandra Starke and Andrea Prager
Polymers 2015, 7(9), 1837-1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym7091485 - 21 Sep 2015
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7692
Abstract
Polymer membrane surfaces have been equipped with the digestive enzyme trypsin. Enzyme immobilization was performed by electron beam irradiation in aqueous media within a one-step method. Using this method, trypsin was covalently and side-unspecific attached to the membrane surface. Thus, the use of [...] Read more.
Polymer membrane surfaces have been equipped with the digestive enzyme trypsin. Enzyme immobilization was performed by electron beam irradiation in aqueous media within a one-step method. Using this method, trypsin was covalently and side-unspecific attached to the membrane surface. Thus, the use of preceding polymer functionalization and the use of toxic solvents or reagents can be avoided. The resulting membranes showed significantly improved antifouling properties as demonstrated by repeated filtration of protein solutions. Furthermore, the biocatalytic membrane can be simply “switched on” to actively degrade a fouling layer on the membrane surface and regain the initial permeability. The membrane pore structure (pore size and porosity) was neither damaged by the electron beam treatment nor blocked by the enzyme loading, ensuring a stable membrane performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Thin Films and Membranes 2015)
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