Anti-fouling coatings with star polymers for filtration membranes
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGeraud J. Dubois, Robert D. Miller, Young-Hye Na, Victoria Piunova, Joseph Sly, Andy T. Tek, Ran Wang
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Abstract
A porous membrane with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) greater than about 10 kDa, and a coating on at least a portion of a major surface of the porous membrane. The coating includes a star polymer having a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic arms, wherein the hydrophobic core contacts the porous membrane.
Claims18
A porous membrane with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) greater than about 10 kDa, and a coating on at least a portion of a major surface of the porous membrane, wherein the coating comprises a star polymer having a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic arms, and wherein the hydrophobic core contacts the porous membrane.
A process of forming a monolayer of self-assembled star polymers on a porous membrane with a MWCO greater than 10 kDa, comprising:
- applying on a surface of the porous membrane an aqueous solution of star polymers, wherein the star polymers comprise a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic arms;
- and
- draining excess of the aqueous solution of the star polymers to form a coated membrane.
A porous filtration membrane with a MWCO greater than about 10 kDa, wherein a hydrophobic major surface of the filtration membrane contacts a hydrophilic coating comprising a monolayer of star polymers, wherein the star polymer in the hydrophilic coating comprises a hydrophobic microgel core comprising polystyrene (PS) adjacent to the hydrophobic major surface and at least 6 hydrophilic polymer arms, and wherein at least some of the hydrophilic polymer arms comprise (meth)acryl functionality.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.