Gamma Irradiation Surface Modified Polypropylene-Based Hollow Fiber with Silver Nanoparticles and Its Impact on the Properties of Treated Membrane

Abstract

Controlling the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a solid sorbent and disinfectant nanomaterial coating on the hollow fiber membrane surface by gamma irradiation is a great goal. The colloidal silver ion reduction on polypropylene hollow fiber (PPHF) membrane surface caused both the nanomaterial synthesis and membrane surface modifying, simultaneously by gamma assistance. The PPHF membranes were modified in the specific conditions. PPHF samples were stirred in a solution of silver ions after coating in Cetyl-Trimethyl-Ammonium-Bromide (CTAB) solution. Then the silver nanoparticles were coated on PPHF by 1.77 Gy/s dose rate of gamma-ray exposure. The structural characterization of silver nanoparticles and the modified membrane were determined by different instrumental analysis. The presence of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and the moderate percentage of deposited reduced silver ions on the PPHF sample surface were confirmed by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis respectively. These analyses confirm the reduction of silver ions and their aggregations on the sample surface in the lack of CTAB coating samples. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of colloidal solution graphed a maximum absorption at about 408 nm due to Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). The Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectra were used to investigate the Ag NPs graft on the PPHF surface. The average particle size was obtained about 45 nm by Scherrer formula from XRD data while the Ag NPs peaks were covered and shifted by PPHF peaks.