Effect of Cross-linking on Antifouling Properties for PVDF-g-PACMO Membranes

In order to enhance the capability of resistant to protein adsorption of the copolymer membrane of polyacryloylmorpholine-graft-acryloylmorpholine(PVDF-g-PACMO), a crosslinking agent of ethylene glycoldimethacrylate(EGDMA) was added to prepare the copolymer.The copolymers with different proportions of the crosslinking agent were cast into flat membranes via a liquid-liquid phase separation technique, and then the influence of EGDMA contained in the membranes on its capability of resistant to protein adsorption was investigated. FT-IR results indicate the PVDF-g-PACMO copolymers with EGDMA are synthesized successfully. A series of tests, including XPS, SEM, the contact angle, the static protein adsorption and permeation experiments, show that PACMO is much easier to segregate to the surface with the increase of the crosslinking agent content in the system, the number of membrane pores increases, meantime, the hydrophilicity and water flux of the copolymer membranes are improved. Moreover, the adsorption amount of protein, total pollution index and irreversible pollution index decrease, and reversible pollution index increases. All results indicate the crosslinking agent of EGDMA can enhance the capability of resistant to protein adsorption of PVDF-g-PACMO membranes.