Collaborative Research: A Polymer Synthesis/Membrane Characterization

0932781/0931761 Emrick/Freeman PI提出了以水净化膜聚合物涂层的制备、应用和表征为中心的合作基础研究。PI认识到，推进水净化膜和工艺是21世纪世纪的一个至关重要的科学和技术挑战，人口增长和淡水供应日益紧张的结合构成了严重的社会威胁，无论是在美国还是在世界范围内。该提案通过聚合物合成和膜表征合作来加速改进水净化膜的发现，这将能够快速有效地测试用于制备膜和修饰膜表面的新型聚合物材料。该研究计划优化了水净化膜的防污涂层，特别关注耐用的聚烯烃接枝PEG共聚物作为平台聚合物作为膜涂层。提出了一种新的聚合物合成涂料和表征方法，评估新的涂料在防止膜污染的有效性。两性离子聚合物，例如磷酰胆碱和磺基甜菜碱结构，以及聚（多巴胺）涂层，构成了这些努力的基础。阐述了抗污染膜的策略扩展到生物污染的问题，这是重要的推进膜生物反应器的效用。更广泛的影响和教育工作，旨在最大限度地发挥研究的影响，并激发公众，聚合物/工程社区，以及弱势和少数社区成员对材料和工程研究的关注，这些研究通过其水净化目标具有社会重要性。PI将强调影响研究界和公众的努力，包括：1）在全部或部分致力于聚合物膜和水净化的研究会议中的组织和领导作用。其中突出的活动将是美国化学学会半年度全国会议上的膜会议，包括湖城ACS会议（2009年3月）和加利福尼亚州文图拉的高分子材料戈登研究会议（2011年1月）。2)针对大学生、女生和少数民族学生、公众和残疾（听力受损）学生的教育活动。活动将包括创建一个水净化活动集群，旨在用于奥斯汀儿童博物馆的科学星期日，以及来自德克萨斯州聋人学校（TSD）的学生在UT实验室参与膜和分离的研究经验。3)技术转让战略，产生和维持PI和私营部门之间的关系，并简化发现潜在的商业影响，有助于美国在全球科学界的竞争力。PI先前的技术转让经验加速了这一进程，他们参加麻省理工学院聚合物工业研究中心的半年度会议也是如此。

0932781/0931761Emrick/FreemanThe PIs propose collaborative fundamental research centered on the preparation, application, and characterization of polymer coatings for water purification membranes. The PIs recognize that advancing water purification membranes and processes is a critically important scientific and technological challenge of the 21st Century, and that the combination of population growth and increasing strain on fresh water supplies poses a serious societal threat, both in the United States and worldwide. Accelerating discoveries that improve water purification membranes is accomplished in this proposal through a polymer synthesis and membrane characterization collaboration, which will enable a rapid and effective testing of novel polymer materials used to prepare membranes and to modify membrane surfaces. The research plan optimizes anti-fouling coatings for water purification membranes, focusing especially on robust polyolefin-graft-PEG copolymers as a platform polymer to act as a coating for membranes. A new proposed polymer syntheses for coatings and characterization methods that evaluate the effectiveness of the new coatings in preventing membrane fouling is proposed. Zwitterionic polymers, such as phosphorylcholine and sulfobetaine structures, as well as poly(dopamine) coatings, form the basis of these efforts. The strategies elucidated for anti-fouling membranes are extended to the problem of biofouling, which is important for advancing the utility of membrane bioreactors. Broader impact and education efforts that are designed to maximize the impact of the research, and excite the general public, the polymer/engineering communities, and disadvantaged and minority community members about materials and engineering research that carries societal importance through its objectives of water purification. The PIs will emphasize efforts that impact both the research community and the general public, including: 1) Organization and leadership roles in research conferences that are devoted, in whole or in part, to polymer membranes and water purification. Prominent among the activities will be membrane sessions at semi-annual National meetings of the American Chemical Society, including sessions at the Salt Lake City ACS meeting (March 2009) and the Macromolecular Materials Gordon Research Conference in Ventura, CA (January 2011). 2) Activities geared towards the education of undergraduates, female and minority students, the general public, and physically challenged (hearing impaired) students. Activities will include the creation of a water purification activity cluster designed for use at the Austin Children's Museum's Science Sundays, and participation of students from the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in the UT laboratory for a research experience in membranes and separation. 3) Technology transfer strategies that generate and sustain relationships between the PIs and the private sector, and that streamline discoveries towards potential commercial impact, contributing to American competitiveness in the global scientific community. The PI's prior technology transfer experience accelerate this process, as will their participation in semi-annual meetings of the Center for UMass-Industry Research on Polymers.