Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity
Seawater desalination is a worldwide concern for the sustainable production of drinking water. In this regard, membrane distillation (MD) has shown the potential for effective brine treatment. However, the lack of appropriate MD membranes limits its industrial expansion since they experience fouling...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/9/1279 |
| _version_ | 1797535552740786176 |
|---|---|
| author | Emilia Gontarek-Castro Maria Krystyna Rybarczyk Roberto Castro-Muñoz Monica Morales-Jiménez Blanca Barragán-Huerta Marek Lieder |
| author_facet | Emilia Gontarek-Castro Maria Krystyna Rybarczyk Roberto Castro-Muñoz Monica Morales-Jiménez Blanca Barragán-Huerta Marek Lieder |
| author_sort | Emilia Gontarek-Castro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seawater desalination is a worldwide concern for the sustainable production of drinking water. In this regard, membrane distillation (MD) has shown the potential for effective brine treatment. However, the lack of appropriate MD membranes limits its industrial expansion since they experience fouling and wetting issues. Therefore, hydrophobic membranes are promising candidates to successfully deal with such phenomena that are typical for commercially available membranes. Here, several graphene/polyvinylidene (PVDF_G) membranes with different graphene loading (0–10 wt%) were prepared through a phase inversion method. After full characterization of the resulting membranes, the surface revealed that the well-dispersed graphene in the polymer matrix (0.33 and 0.5 wt% graphene loading) led to excellent water repellence together with a rough structure, and a large effective surface area. Importantly, antifungal activity tests of films indicated an increase in the inhibition percentage for PVDF_G membranes against the <i>Curvularia</i> sp. fungal strain. However, the antifungal surface properties were found to be the synergistic result of graphene toxicity and surface topography. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:46:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-356abe9ee28a42279cc6e17658d2b605 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:46:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-356abe9ee28a42279cc6e17658d2b6052023-11-21T18:02:53ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-04-01139127910.3390/w13091279Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal ActivityEmilia Gontarek-Castro0Maria Krystyna Rybarczyk1Roberto Castro-Muñoz2Monica Morales-Jiménez3Blanca Barragán-Huerta4Marek Lieder5Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdansk, PolandDepartment of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Lublin University of Technology, 40 Nadbystrzycka St., 20-618 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdansk, PolandEscuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida Wilfrido Massieu s/n, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Mexico City 07738, MexicoEscuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida Wilfrido Massieu s/n, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Mexico City 07738, MexicoDepartment of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdansk, PolandSeawater desalination is a worldwide concern for the sustainable production of drinking water. In this regard, membrane distillation (MD) has shown the potential for effective brine treatment. However, the lack of appropriate MD membranes limits its industrial expansion since they experience fouling and wetting issues. Therefore, hydrophobic membranes are promising candidates to successfully deal with such phenomena that are typical for commercially available membranes. Here, several graphene/polyvinylidene (PVDF_G) membranes with different graphene loading (0–10 wt%) were prepared through a phase inversion method. After full characterization of the resulting membranes, the surface revealed that the well-dispersed graphene in the polymer matrix (0.33 and 0.5 wt% graphene loading) led to excellent water repellence together with a rough structure, and a large effective surface area. Importantly, antifungal activity tests of films indicated an increase in the inhibition percentage for PVDF_G membranes against the <i>Curvularia</i> sp. fungal strain. However, the antifungal surface properties were found to be the synergistic result of graphene toxicity and surface topography.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/9/1279membrane distillationgraphenemembranesanti-fungal activity |
| spellingShingle | Emilia Gontarek-Castro Maria Krystyna Rybarczyk Roberto Castro-Muñoz Monica Morales-Jiménez Blanca Barragán-Huerta Marek Lieder Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity Water membrane distillation graphene membranes anti-fungal activity |
| title | Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity |
| title_full | Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity |
| title_short | Characterization of PVDF/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Desalination with Enhanced Antifungal Activity |
| title_sort | characterization of pvdf graphene nanocomposite membranes for water desalination with enhanced antifungal activity |
| topic | membrane distillation graphene membranes anti-fungal activity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/9/1279 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emiliagontarekcastro characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity AT mariakrystynarybarczyk characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity AT robertocastromunoz characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity AT monicamoralesjimenez characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity AT blancabarraganhuerta characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity AT mareklieder characterizationofpvdfgraphenenanocompositemembranesforwaterdesalinationwithenhancedantifungalactivity |