Terephthalic-co-glycerol-g-fumaric Acid: A Promising Nanopolymer for Enhancing PPSU Membrane Properties

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Terephthalic-co-glycerol-g-fumaric Acid: A Promising Nanopolymer for Enhancing PPSU Membrane Properties by Harith A. Alani 1,Qusay F. Alsalhy 2,*ORCID,Saad Al-Saadi 3,4,*,Faris H. Alani 1,Hicham Meskher 5ORCID,Raed A. Al-Juboori 6,Francesca Russo 7ORCID,Giampiero Chiappetta 7ORCID,Giuseppe Di Luca 7ORCID andAlberto Figoli 7ORCID 1 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Technology-Iraq, Alsinaa Street 52, Baghdad 10066, Iraq 2 Membrane Technology Research Unit, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Technology-Iraq, Alsinaa Street 52, Baghdad 10066, Iraq 3 Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University-Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia 4 Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Monash University-Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia 5 Division of Process Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Chadli Bendjedid University, El-Tarf 36000, Algeria 6 NYUAD Water Research Centre, New York University, Abu Dhabi Campus, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates 7 Institute of Membrane Technology, National Research Council, (ITM-CNR), Via P. Bucci 17c, 87030 Rende, Italy * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. ChemEngineering 2025, 9(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering9010012 Submission received: 9 August 2024 / Revised: 7 January 2025 / Accepted: 14 January 2025 / Published: 21 January 2025 Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract This study introduces an innovative approach to modifying polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) membranes for wastewater treatment applications. Terephthalic-co-glycerol-g-fumaric acid (TGF) was used as an innovative nanopolymer pore former. By incorporating TGF at varying concentrations, our research investigates its effects on the morphological and surface properties of PPSU membranes. Two different solvents were used to dissolve PPSU, optimizing the properties of the fabricated membranes. The resultant PPSU/TGF membranes were systematically characterized regarding topography, morphological changes, hydrophilicity, chemical composition, and performance against protein and synthetic dyes. Experimental results revealed that adding TGF resulted in a smoother membrane surface. With 6% TGF inclusion in the casting solution, a more porous structure was achieved, as confirmed by SEM analysis, along with significant improvements in porosity and a near doubling of pore size. Although the hydrophilicity of the membranes exhibited only minor enhancement, performance evaluation demonstrated a substantial increase in pure water flux, with an improvement of more than fourfold. Moreover, the retention of BSA and two synthetic dyes was found to be directly proportional to the concentration of the nanopolymer pore former used. These findings highlight the potential advantages of TGF/PPSU membranes for protein separation and synthetic dye separation applications, underscoring their viability for wastewater treatment.