Highthroughputmixedmatrixmembranewithsuperiorantib

High-throughputmixed-matrixmembranewithsuperioranti-bacterialproperties:Afacileapproachtowardsdevelopmentofpoint-of-usewaterpurificationdeviceSoumitraKara,⇑,AvishekPala,MaheshSubramanianb,J.Nuwadc,R.C.Bindala,S.Chattopadhyayb,P.K.TewaridaMembraneDevelopmentSection,ChemicalEngineeringGroup,BhabhaAtomicResearchCentre,Trombay,Mumbai400085,IndiabBio-organicDivision,BhabhaAtomicResearchCentre,Trombay,Mumbai400085,IndiacChemistryDivision,BhabhaAtomicResearchCentre,Trombay,Mumbai400085,IndiadHomiBhabhaNationalInstitute,AnushaktiNagar,Mumbai400094,Indiahighlights
Mixed-matrixUFmembraneaspoint-of-usebactericidalportabledevicedeveloped.
Amethodologyforenergy-efficientandcost-effectivedomesticwaterpurificationdeveloped.
BactericidalAg-npsimpregnatedwithinahighlyporousbenignmatrixofpolymer.
Asasurvivalmechanism,bacteriaexperiencenegativechemotacticresponses.
Solventthroughputof2500LMH/barandbacterialrejectionof99.99%achieved.graphicalabstractarticleinfoArticlehistory:Received1February2016Receivedinrevisedform23March2016Accepted30March2016Availableonline5April2016Keywords:Mixed-matrixmembraneAgnanoparticleBacterialrejectionNegativechemotacticresponseHigh-throughputabstractAdistinctiveandimpactfulideahasbeenmaterializedtodevelophigh-performancemixed-matrixultra-filtration(UF)membranesusingnon-solventinducedphaseinversiontechnique,utilizingvariousopti-mizedcompositionsofpolymer–polysulfone(Psf)andbactericidalnanostructuredmaterial,i.e.,silvernanoparticles(Ag-nps).Membranesinsheet-configurationwithhighvoidvolumesweresynthesizedemployinglargeamountofpolyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)asporogen.Theresultantporousmorphologyandsurfacechemistry,i.e.,surfacehydrophilicityandelectrokineticfeatureswereassessedbyinstrumen-taltechniques.Thenotableseparationperformanceswereobservedasthemembranesexhibitedveryhighsolventthroughputwithreasonableanti-microbialactivity.Ithasbeensubstantiatedthatthenanoparticlesuponimpregnationwithinsuchabenignmatrixofpolymerexertedmorepronouncedmechanisticroletowardsanti-microbialefficacyonEscherichiacoli,sinceasasurvivalmechanismthebacteriaundergoingflagellarlocomotorymotionstartedexperiencingnegativechemotacticresponsesunderthemodifiedcircumstances.Withanobjectiveofapplyingthesalientfeaturesofsuchmembranes,thefacilemethodicalattemptwasutilizedinfabricatingadomesticwaterpurificationdevice,withthemembraneincandle-configurationfortreatmentofenvironmentallyrelevantaquaticmedia.Ithasbeencorroboratedthatourimpactfulapproachtowardsdevelopmentofanefficientwaterpurification
2016ElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.⇑Correspondingauthor.Tel.:[phone];fax:[phone].E-mailaddresses:[e-mail],[e-mail](S.Kar).ChemicalEngineeringJournal297(2016)193–206ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirectChemicalEngineeringJournaljournalhomepage:(solventthroughput:2500LMH/barandbacterialrejection:99.99%)confirmsthesignifi-canceofmembranetechnologyasagreenandsustainableprocesswithprovisionofeasyscaleup,energyandcostefficiency.
2016ElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.1.IntroductionWaterresourcesarebecomingincreasinglyscarceworldwideduetorisingconsumptionofwateratmorethandoubletherateoftheworlds’populationgrowth,sincetheworlds’populationisgrowingbyabout80millionpeopleperyearwithsubsequentincreaseinthedemandforfreshwaterbyabout64billionm3-peryear,whichwillinflictnearlyhalfoftheglobalpopulationtosurviveinhighwaterstressedregionsby2030[1].Inthecomingdecades,thepossibilityofhavingareadyaccesstosafedrinkingwatermaygetboostedupbyseveralotheracceleratingfactorslikerapidgrowthinurbanization[2]aswellasindustrialization,therebyincreasingthelevelofcontamination;over-exploitationofexistingwaterresources,broughtintobyfastagriculturalgrowth[3]coupledwithfinancialandtechnologicalconstraintsandthealarmingeffectsofglobalwarming[4].Differentcountriesandregionswithvariantenvironmental,socialandeconomicconditionshavediverseneedswithregardtotheavailabilityandqualityofthevulnerablewaterresources,fieldconditions,accesstotechnologyandthetypesoftechnologiesthatsuitsappropriateindifferentcircumstances.InaccordancewiththereportofWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)andUnitedNationsInternationalChildren’sFund(UNICEF),atpresent1.1billionpeoplelackaccesstosafedrinkingwaterandabout2.5billionpeoplelackaccesstopropersanitation,nearlyalloftheminthedevelopingcountries[5].Thehealthburdenofpoorqualitywaterseemsenormousasitcanbecontaminatedwithamyriadofdifferenttoxiccompo-nents,mostparticularlythemajorpathogenicorganismslikeviruses,bacteriaandparasiteswhichareresponsibleforlifethreateningwater-bornediseases.Thesecomponentshavebio-cumulative,persistentandsynergisticcharacteristicsaffectinghealthandfunctionoftheecosystemaswellashealthandwellbe-ingofthehumans.Leakywaterdistributionsystemsanddeteriora-tionofwaterqualityuponaging(thoughwaterhasbeentreatedatthepointofentry,POE)alsoaccountforsuchdisastrousoutcomes.Thus,arisingrivalrybetweenwater‘uses’andwater‘users’forbothexistingfreshwateraswellasnewwater