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Tuning the surface properties of Fe3O4 by zwitterionic sulfobetaine: application to antifouling and dye removal membrane

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Abstract

In this paper, zwitterionic polysulfobetaine@Fe3O4 (PSBMA@Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized via covalent grafting and free radical polymerization and characterized. The PSBMA@Fe3O4 noparticles had a zeta potential of − 36 mV (pH 6.3), which guaranteed the high colloidal stability. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were employed as a nanofiller to prepare superior antifouling polysulfone hybrid hollow fiber membranes. The FM-2 membrane exhibited the maximum pure water permeability of 61.1 L/m2 h bar with humic acid (HA) removal efficiency of 98%. The fouling resistance was evaluated using HA as a foulant, and the results suggested that the FM-2 membrane had less amount of HA adsorption with flux recovery ratio of 88.4%. Furthermore, the FM-2 membrane was demonstrated the reactive black-5 and reactive orange-16 removal of above 99% and 84% without much reduction in the dye solution permeability.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant No. (DF-219-130-1441). The authors, therefore, gratefully acknowledge DSR technical and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Membrane Technology Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangalore, 575 025, India

    G. P. S. Ibrahim & A. M. Isloor

  2. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Inamuddin & A. M. Asiri

  3. Advanced Functional Materials Laboratory, Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202 002, India

    Inamuddin

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    R. Farnood

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  1. G. P. S. Ibrahim
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  2. A. M. Isloor
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  3. Inamuddin
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  4. A. M. Asiri
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  5. R. Farnood
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Contributions

GPSI and AMI thank Prof. K. Uma Maheshwar Rao, Director of NITK, Surathkal, India, for the support and encouragement.

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Correspondence to Inamuddin.

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Editorial responsibility: Fatih ŞEN.

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Ibrahim, G.P.S., Isloor, A.M., Inamuddin et al. Tuning the surface properties of Fe3O4 by zwitterionic sulfobetaine: application to antifouling and dye removal membrane. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 17, 4047–4060 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02730-z

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