온실가스의 주범인 이산화탄소를 효과적으로 분리하기 위하여 이산화탄소와 친화성이 좋은 에틸렌글리콜 사슬이 도입된 폴리설폰 기반의 고분자와 아민이 기능화된 ZIF8 무기입자 (ZIF8-A) 를 복합화한 유무기 복합 기체분리막 (MMM)을 제조하였다. 제조된 분리막은 XRD, TGA, FT-IR, SEM 및 NMR 분석을 통해 분리막의 구조와 물성특성을 확인하였다. CO2/N2, CO2/CH4에 대한 가스 투과 특성을 조사하였고, 그 결과 ZIF8-A 구조 내 아민 함량 증가에 따라 이산화탄소에 대한 투과도 및 선택도가 증가하는 경향을 나타냈다. 이는 ZIF8-A 구조 아민기능기와 에칠렌글라이콜 사슬과의 입자와의 계면저항성이 낮은 것에 기인한 것으로 판단하였다.

본 연구에서는 후처리 기능화를 통해 아민이 함유된 ZIF-8-A를 제조하고, 이를 이산화탄소 흡착제로 적용하였다. 첨가한 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole의 함량에 따라 15, 37, 61, 그리고 74 %의 아민기를 포함한 ZIF-8-A를 제조하였으며, 다양한 분석을 통해 이들의 물성특성을 조사하였다. 그 결과, 아민 함량에 따라 ZIF-8-A의 게이트 크기 조절되고 가스 투과도 및 선택도에 영향을 미치는 것을 확인하였다. ZIF-8-A61%는 기존 ZIF-8 대비 CO2/N2 및 CO2/CH4에 대한 선택도가 3.4 및 4.7배 증가하였으며, 이는 구조내 가스 투과를 위한 게이트 사이즈의 조절 및 아민과 이산화탄소의 상호작용에 기인한 것으로 판단하였다.

Well-defined methacrylate based amphiphilic block copolymers (BCs) used as additives to fabricate poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) UF membranes, where the amphiphilic BC additives hydrophilically altered PVDF with PPEGMA block segment by strong interaction with the other PMMA block segment, which reduced water resistance to the PVDF polymer solution during phase separation. FT-IR and XPS studies showed carbonyl groups of BCs in the PVDF membranes. Obtained membranes showed porous surface layer and finger-like pore structures on the sublayers, of which sizes were increased with the increase of BC contents. Obtained membranes showed MWCO with 100K PEO and the best water flux was achieved in the PVDF membrane with BC/LiCl additive and improved the anti-fouling property for BSA protein.

A series of amphiphilic block copolymers consisting of hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(polyethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGEMA) were synthesized by Cu based ATRP and utilized as an additive to prepare asymmetric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) with PVDF. Obtained PVDF based UF membranes gave in-situ hydrophilic surfaces on the hydrophobic PVDF matrix because of strong compatibility PMMA block segment to PVDF and the hydrophilicty of PPEGMA block segment to the non-solvent (water), which showed improved water flux in comparison to neat PVDF UF membrane.

Amine functionalized polysulfone (PSf) based ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared by non-solvent induction phase separation method (NIPS) with reactive PSf (matrix) and polyehtyleneimine (PEI) (additive), where PEI was reacted in dope solution to give surface modified PSf-UF membrane. Unreacted PEI might be worked as a forming agent during NIPS, however it was not much affected to the pore structures. Obtained membranes showed enhanced hydrophilic property on the membrane, which increased the water flux without loss of the rejection rate of PEO (100 K).

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) incorporated reverse osmosis (RO) membranes with an excellent antibacterial property has been reported. However, the incorporated AgNPs could increase the hydraulic resistance of membrane, indicating the decline of water flux. Here, hybrid silver nanoparticles (Ag@SiO2, 400 nm) were strongly immobilized using Ag-S chemical bonding on the polyamide surface of RO membrane for both protecting the decline membrane performance and having a strong antimicrobial property. The membrane performance was unchanged after the immobilization of silver nanoparticles, when compared to that of unmodified membrane. In addition, the silver-polyamide composite membrane significant reduced the number of live bacteria attached on the membrane surface by 92.7 ± 1.8, 99.5 ± 0.3, and 73.3 ± 5.5% for E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, respectively. The strong antimicrobial property is ascribed to the combination effect by the directly attachment to bacteria surface and the penetration of released silver ions inside the cell membrane of bacteria.