TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermo-Responsive Membranes from Blends of PVDF and PNIPAM-b-PVDF Block Copolymers with Linear and Star Architectures
AU - Algarni, Fatimah
AU - Musteata, Valentina-Elena
AU - Falca, Gheorghe
AU - Chisca, Stefan
AU - Hadjichristidis, Nikos
AU - Nunes, Suzana Pereira
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2021-09-13
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, grants REP/1/3848-01-01, URF/1/4040-01-01 and base lines.
PY - 2021/9/10
Y1 - 2021/9/10
N2 - We report the synthesis of poly(n-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(vinylidene fluoride), (PNIPAM-b-PVDF), copolymers with linear and star structures, as well as the self-assembly and fabrication of thermo-responsive membranes from blends of these block copolymers and a linear PVDF homopolymer. The synthesis was achieved by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer sequential copolymerization using mono- or multifunctional transfer agents. The self-assembly in bulk and selective solvents was investigated. The PVDF blocks are crystallizable and hydrophobic and the PNIPAM thermo-responsive in water. The morphology is dominated by the breakout crystallization of the PVDF block. Nanoporous membranes were fabricated by non-solvent-induced phase-separation method. The membranes revealed a macroscale zig–zag morphology, which is dependent on the block copolymer architecture. Due to the presence of PNIPAM, these membranes exhibited thermo-responsive behavior with water permeability and rejection alternately varying with the operating temperature, which is reversible in multiple heating–cooling cycles.
AB - We report the synthesis of poly(n-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(vinylidene fluoride), (PNIPAM-b-PVDF), copolymers with linear and star structures, as well as the self-assembly and fabrication of thermo-responsive membranes from blends of these block copolymers and a linear PVDF homopolymer. The synthesis was achieved by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer sequential copolymerization using mono- or multifunctional transfer agents. The self-assembly in bulk and selective solvents was investigated. The PVDF blocks are crystallizable and hydrophobic and the PNIPAM thermo-responsive in water. The morphology is dominated by the breakout crystallization of the PVDF block. Nanoporous membranes were fabricated by non-solvent-induced phase-separation method. The membranes revealed a macroscale zig–zag morphology, which is dependent on the block copolymer architecture. Due to the presence of PNIPAM, these membranes exhibited thermo-responsive behavior with water permeability and rejection alternately varying with the operating temperature, which is reversible in multiple heating–cooling cycles.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/671152
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01372
U2 - 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01372
DO - 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01372
M3 - Article
SN - 0024-9297
JO - Macromolecules
JF - Macromolecules
ER -