Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Fine-tuning of the surface porosity of micropatterned polyethersulfone membranes prepared by phase separation micromolding

Polymer Journal volume 52, pages 397–403 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Phase separation micromolding (PSμM) is an effective technique for fabricating porous membranes with micropatterned structures. However, reports on procedures to control the size and number of open pores on the patterned surface are scarce, which often limits the use of the surface-patterned membranes. This work presents a systematic study on tailoring open pores on the patterned surface of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes prepared by the PSμM procedure. The composition of the solvent and the concentration of PES in the casting solution were optimized to tune the size and number of pores on the membrane surfaces formed on a flat substrate during the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The surface porosity changed significantly and macrovoids appeared when the flat substrate was replaced by a micropatterned substrate. The vapor-induced phase separation process was applied prior to the NIPS process to prevent the formation of macrovoids. The composition of the casting solution was tuned again to prepare micropatterned porous PES membranes with open pores on the patterned surface. We observed that the size and number of pores were different depending on the pore locations on the patterned surface, which was caused by different solvent/nonsolvent demixing dynamics resulting from the physical discontinuity of micro-patterned membranes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jackson EA, Hillmyer MA. Nanoporous membranes derived from block copolymers: from drug delivery to water filtration. ACS Nano. 2010;4:3548–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chowdhury MR, Steffes J, Huey BD, McCutcheon JR. 3D printed polyamide membranes for desalination. Science. 2018;361:682–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yi S, Ghanem B, Liu Y, Pinnau I, Koros WJ. Ultraselective glassy polymer membranes with unprecedented performance for energy-efficient sour gas separation. Sci Adv. 2019;5:eaaw5459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Xia D, Johnson LM, López GP. Anisotropic wetting surfaces with one-dimensional and directional structures: fabrication approaches, wetting properties and potential applications. Adv Mater. 2012;24:1287–302.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Choi W, Chan EP, Park J-H, Ahn W-G, Jung HW, Hong S, et al. Nanoscale pillar-enhanced tribological surfaces as antifouling membranes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2016;8:31433–41.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Peters AM, Lammertink RGH, Wessling M. Comparing flat and micro-patterned surfaces: gas permeation and tensile stress measurements. J Membr Sci. 2008;320:173–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Koh JK, Jeon Y, Cho YI, Kim JH, Shul Y-G. A facile preparation method of surface patterned polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications. J Mater Chem A. 2014;2:8652–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vogelaar L, Barsema JN, van Rijn CJM, Nijdam W, Wessling M. Phase separation micromolding—PSμM. Adv Mater. 2003;15:1385–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Vogelaar L, Lammertink RGH, Barsema JN, Nijdam W, Bolhuis-Versteeg LAM, van Rijn CJM, Wessling M. Phase separation micromolding: a new generic approach for microstructuring various materials. Small. 2005;1:645–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Guillen GR, Pan Y, Li M, Hoek EMV. Preparation and characterization of membranes formed by nonsolvent induced phase separation: a review. Ind Eng Chem Res. 2011;50:3798–817.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shin S-J, Kim J-P, Kim H-J, Jeon J-H, Min B-R. Preparation and characterization of polyethersulfone microfiltration membranes by a 2-methoxyethanol additive. Desalination. 2005;186:1–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wu D, Zhao L, Vakharia VK, Salim W, Ho WSW. Synthesis and characterization of nanoporous polyethersulfone membrane as support for composite membrane in CO2 separation: from lab to pilot scale. J Membr Sci. 2016;510:58–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ren J, Li Z, Wong F-S. Membrane structure control of BTDA-TDI/MDI (P84) co-polyimide asymmetric membranes by wet-phase inversion process. J Membr Sci. 2004;241:305–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Paulsen FG, Shojaie SS, Krantz WB. Effect of evaporation step on macrovoid formation in wet-cast polymeric membranes. J Membr Sci. 1994;91:265–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Smolders CA, Reuvers AJ, Boom RM, Wienk IM. Microstructures in phase-inversion membranes. Part 1. Formation of macrovoids. J Membr Sci. 1992;73:259–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. ElSherbiny IMA, Khalil ASG, Ulbricht M. Surface micro-patterning as a promising platform towards novel polyamide thin-film composite membranes of superior performance. J Membr Sci. 2017;529:11–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Li SG, van den Boomgaard T, Smolders CA, Strathmann H. Physical gelation of amorphous polymers in a mixture of solvent and nonsolvent. Macromolecules. 1996;29:2053–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lee HJ, Jung B, Kang YS, Lee H. Phase separation of polymer casting solution by nonsolvent vapor. J Membr Sci. 2004;245:103–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Caquineau H, Menut P, Deratani A, Dupuy C. Influence of the relative humidity on film formation by vapor induced phase separation. Polym Eng Sci. 2003;43:798–808.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chae Park H, Po Kim Y, Yong Kim H, Soo Kang Y. Membrane formation by water vapor induced phase inversion. J Membr Sci. 1999;156:169–78.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Advanced Low Carbon Technology Research and Development Program (ALCA) Grant Number JPMJAL1403.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Yida Liu, Yoshiko Miura & Yu Hoshino

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Kodama

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Taisuke Kojima

  4. International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Ikuo Taniguchi

  5. Department of Chemical Engineering, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan

    Hirokazu Seto

Authors
  1. Yida Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takashi Kodama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Taisuke Kojima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ikuo Taniguchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hirokazu Seto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yoshiko Miura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yu Hoshino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yida Liu or Yu Hoshino.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, Y., Kodama, T., Kojima, T. et al. Fine-tuning of the surface porosity of micropatterned polyethersulfone membranes prepared by phase separation micromolding. Polym J 52, 397–403 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-019-0298-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-019-0298-9

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links