Properties and performance of Ag(I) ion imprinted PVDF-PVA/GO composite membrane: Enhanced permeability, rejection and anti-microbial ability

Abstract

A novel composite membrane with enhanced permeability, rejection and anti-microbial ability was fabricated through chemical modification of PVDF membrane with silver (Ag) ion imprinted poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide (PVA/GO) thin layer. The physico-chemical properties of the membranes were investigated by a series of analysis techniques. The membrane filtration performance, i.e., pure water flux and rejection efficiency of NaCl, MgSO4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA), was found to be highly affected by the modification processes. Although rejection performance of the H-PVDF-PVA/GO-m-Ag membrane was observed to be slightly decreased compared to that of the H-PVDF-PVA/GO membrane, the uniform imprinting of Ag ions on the membrane surface can endow the membrane with excellent anti-microbial ability. According to results from both batch and dynamic filtration experiments, the H-PVDF-PVA/GO-m-Ag membrane can effectively inactivate 58% and 100% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells after incubation for 1 and 4 ​h, respectively and reduce approximately 94% of surface adhesion density. The prepared membrane with the excellent anti-biofouling ability exhibited a promising application potential in water treatment processes.