EAGER: Confining biofouling using sticky stripes

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Ultrafiltration membranes are the state of the art for water treatment. With time, however, bacteria colonize on the surface of the ultrafiltration membranes in a process known as biofouling. Biofouling decreases the transport of purified water across the membrane, requires expensive and time consuming methods to remove the accumulated bacteria, and ultimately, increase the costs, energy consumption of the water purification process, and shortens the lifetime of the membrane. Current strategies to prevent biofouling include use of designer materials that prevent fouling, either via use of new polymers or incorporation of biocides into the existing membrane material. These existing strategies lead to materials that are either expensive, unstable, and/or have decreased performance relative to the precursor membrane. The research will provide evidence that materials chemistry can immobilize a nanomaterial onto a porous antifouling polymer ultrafiltration membrane. This project explores synthesis of a novel membrane hierarchical structure, which utilizes a hydrophilic polymer to increase the flux of pure water across the membrane by confining the hydrophilic polymer layer to an ultrathin upper layer, without blocking pores. Secondly, sacrificial antifouling strips with biocidal properties will be electronspun onto this layer to localize fouling and antimicrobial properties to certain regions of the membrane. In this one year project, the PI will demonstrate that the antifouling fibers will adhere to the ultrathin hydrophilic layer, to alleviate concerns of the high risk nature of the concept. The first method to be explore for deposition of the fibers is electrospinning, while contingency plans include additive manufacturing and 3D printing.