ScholarWorks@성균관대학교

초록

Organic fouling is a critical challenge in water treatment via ultrafiltration (UF) due to the abundance of organic foulants. These foulants not only reduce membrane flux over time but also shorten membrane lifespan. Therefore, maintaining UF performance requires effective surface modification strategies to enhance fouling resistance. Herein, we present a facile, green, cost-effective, and consumer-safe method for surface modification of UF membranes using a metal–polyphenol network (MPN), with minimum use of precursor materials. The effects of coating thickness and uniformity on permeability, fouling resistance, and biomolecule rejection efficiency were systematically evaluated. The MPN surface-modification significantly improved membrane hydrophilicity, reducing the contact angle to 38° (corresponding to an increase in hydrophilicity from 40 % to 60 %), and achieved a high water permeability of 249 L∙ m−2∙ h−1 ∙ bar−1. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection was also enhanced to 99 %. Additionally, the MPN-modified UF membrane maintained a stable flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 95 % after repeated fouling–cleaning cycles. The antifouling performance and underlying mechanism were further elucidated using fluorescence microscopy and FE-SEM imaging. Importantly, issues commonly associated with conventional MPN coatings, such as excessive coating layer thickness and substantially reduced permeability, were effectively addressed by optimizing the concentration of coating materials. This study demonstrates the potential of thin-layered MPN coatings to improve the sustainability and operational efficiency of UF membranes, aligning with the growing demand for green and cost-effective technologies. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.

키워드