Fabrication of Thin Film Heterogeneous Cation Exchange Membrane in Chitosan Nanocomposite Layer with Copper Oxide Nanoparticles

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, P.O. Box: 38156-8-8349, Arak, Iran

2 School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Postal Code 3819693345, Arak, Iran

Abstract

Hypothesis: The surface modification of a heterogeneous cation exchange membrane was carried out through a chitosan nanocomposite layer containing copper oxide nanoparticles in an electrodialysis process. The effect of the formed surface layer on the structure and transfer, separation and antibacterial properties of the membranes was investigated.   
Methods: Double layer membranes were produced by dip-coating method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), electrical resistance, ionic flux, ability to remove heavy metal ions, water content, water contact angle and antibacterial experiments were employed to examine the membranes.
Findings: The EDX and FTIR results confirmed the formation of chitosan-copper oxide nanocomposite layer on the surface of pristine membrane. The SEM images also showed the formation of a uniform layer on the modified membranes. The amount of water content for double-layer membranes showed an increasing trend compared to pristine membranes, although the contact angle results proved an increase in surface roughness for double-layer membranes. The results of ionic properties also showed that the electrical resistances of double-layer membranes decreased to 46% initially by utilizing CuO nanoparticles in the surface layer, whereas the monovalent ionic flux and bivalent flux for heavy metals were enhanced by 50% and >300%, respectively. At high ratios of CuO nanoparticles in the surface layer, the electrical resistance of membranes increased again and the flux showed a decreasing trend. Double-layer nanocomposite membranes showed a high ability to remove copper heavy metal ions and their antibacterial performance was suitable against Escherichia coli. Among the prepared membranes, the double-layer membrane containing 0.001% (by weight) copper oxide nanoparticles showed better performance compared to a pristine and other modified membranes.

Keywords


  1. Bagheripour E., Moghadassi A.R., Parvizian F., and Hosseini S.M., Tailoring the Separation Performance and Fouling Reduction of PES Based Nanofiltration Membrane by Using a PVA/Fe3O4 Coating Layer, Eng. Res. Des., 144, 418-428, 2019.
  2. Bandehali S., Moghadassi A.R., Parvizian F., Zhang Y., Hosseini S.M., and Shen J.N., New Mixed Matrix PEI Nanofiltration Membrane Decorated by Glycidyl-Poss Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanoplates with Enhanced Separation and Antifouling Behavior: Heavy Metal Ions Removal, Purif. Technol., 242, 116745, 2020.
  3. Hosseini S.M., Chehreh M., Jashni E., and Shen J.N., Electrochemical Characterization of Electrodialysis Cation Exchange Membrane Incorporated with Graphite Nanoparticle for Deionization, Ionics, 26 ,1525-1535, 2020.
  4. Hosseini S.M., Behvand Usefi M.M., Habibi M., Parvizian F., Van der Bruggen B., Ahmadi A., and Nemati M., Fabrication of Mixed Matrix Anion Exchange Membrane Decorated with Polyaniline Nanoparticles to Chloride and Sulfate Ions Removal from Water, Ionics, 25, 6135-6145, 2019.
  5. Hosseini S.M., Moradi F., Koudzari Farahani S., Bandehali S., Parvizian F., Ebrahimi M., and Shen J.N., Carbon Nanofibers/Chitosan Nanocomposite Thin Film for Surface Modification of Poly(ether sulphone) Nanofiltration Membrane,  Chem. Phys., 269, 124720, 2021.
  6. Jashni E. and Hosseini S.M., High Selective Heterogeneous Cation Exchange Membrane Modified by L-Cysteine with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance, Ionics, 26, 875-893, 2020.
  7. Salehi E., Hosseini S.M., Ansari S., and Hamidi A.R., Surface Modification of Sulfonated Polyvinylchloride Cation-Exchange Membranes by Using Chitosan Polymer Containing Fe3O4Nanoparticles, Solid State Electrochem., 20, 371-377, 2016.
  8. Hosseini S.M., Nemati M., and Rafiei N., Surface Modification of Cation Exchange Membranes Using Chitosan-co-PANI/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Layer, J. Polym. Sci. Technol. (Persian), 31, 435-446, 2018.
  9. Zareei F., Bnadehali S., Ebrahimi M., and Hosseini S.M., Fabrication and Investigation of Separation Performance and Antifouling Properties of Mixed Matrix PES-Base Nanofiltration Membrane Containing Cobalt-Ferrite Nanoparticles, J. Polym. Sci. Technol. (Persian), 33, 385-400, 2021.
  10. Li Q., Dunn E.T., Grandmaison E.W., and Goosen M.F.A., Applications and Properties of Chitosan, CRC, Boca Raton,
    1st, 27, 1997.
  11. Hu Y., Wang M., Wang D., Gao X., and Gao C., Feasibility Study on Surface Modification of Cation Exchange Membranes by Quaternized Chitosan for Improving Its Selectivity, Membr. Sci., 319, 5-9, 2008.
  12. Huang P., Cao M., and Liu Q., Adsorption of Chitosan on Chalcopyrite and Galena from Aqueous Suspensions, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 409, 167-175, 2012.
  13. Hossain F.,  Perales-Perez O.J., Hwang S., and Roman F., Antimicrobial Nanomaterials as Water Disinfectant: Applications, Limitations and Future Perspectives, Total Environ., 466, 1047-1059, 2014.
  14. Song M.K., Park S., Alamgir F.M., Cho J., and liu M., Nanostructured Electrodes for Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Air Batteries: The Latest Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives,  Sci. Eng., 72, 203-252, 2011. 
  15. Kislyuk V.V. and Dimitriev O.P., Nanorods and Nanotubes for Solar Cells, Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 8, 131-148, 2008.
  16. Singh J., Kaur G.,  and Rawat M., A Brief Review on Synthesis and Characterization of Copper Oxidenanoparticles and Its Applications, Bioelec. Nanotechnol. A, 1, 12-22, 2016.
  17. Hosseini S.M., Madaeni S.S., and Khodabakhshi A.R., Preparation and Surface Modification of PVC/SBR Heterogeneous Cation Exchange Membrane with Silver Nanoparticles by Plasma Treatment, Membr. Sci., 365, 438-446, 2010.
  18. Hosseini S.M., Madaeni S.S., and Khodabakhshi A.R., Preparation and Characterization of ABS/HIPS Heterogeneous Cation Exchange Membranes with Various Blend Ratios of Polymer Binder, Membr. Sci., 351, 178-188, 2010.
  19. Hosseini M., Madaeni S.S., Moghadassi A.R., Joudaki E., and Bakhshi A., Improving the Electrochemical Properties of Electrodialysis Heterogeneous Cation Exchange Membrane by Surface Modification, Sep. Sci. Technol., 48, 250-263, 2013.
  20. Mengelizadeh N., Haghighifard N.J., Takdastan A., and Hormozinejad M., Physicochemical Characterization of Biopolymer Chitosan Extracted from Shrimp Shell, Iran J. Polym. Sci. Technol. (Persian), 27, 371380, 2015.
  21. Mirzamohammadi M., Koudzari Farahani S., Parvizian F., and Hosseini S.M., Surface Modification of Nanofiltration Membrane Using Polyvinyl Alcohol and Chitosan-Functionalized Activated Carbon Nanoparticles, J. Polym. Sci. Technol. (Persian), 34, 349-358, 2021.
  22. Sedaghati F., Samari F., and Kamal M., Rapid and Cost-Effective Biosynthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles and Its Application as an Efficient Catalyst for Dye Removal in Aqueous Media, Mater. Technol., 9, 23-34, 2021.
  23. Hosseini S.M., Golshanikia P., Habibi M., Jahsni E., Shen J.N., and Ebrahimi M., Intensifying Antibacterial and Electrochemical Behaviors of CuO Induced-Ion Exchange Membrane for Water Treatment, Polym. Res., 29, 2022. DOI: org/10.1007/s10965-022-03023-4