Nanofiber Membrane with Self-assemble Surface Segregation for Oil/Water Separation

Abstract

Electrospun nanofiber membrane, which possesses high permeate flux and rejection due to high porosity with interconnected pores and various interaction mechanisms, shows a good potential in water treatment such as oil/water separation. However, a sharp flux decrease occurs when oil droplets spread on the surface and form a thin film. In this study, surface segregation was applied by using an amphiphilic triblock copolymer P127-g-PDMS for preventing nanofiber membrane from such a fouling. The amphiphilic copolymer covered the surface of each nanofiber so that the membrane exhibited a good oil rejection, even after undergoing 10 times recycles. Besides, the membrane with surface segregation presented a good permeate flux only under the gravity but no extra applied pressure. This work may open up new avenues to develop energy-efficient membrane by surface segregation on nanofiber membrane for oily wastewater treatment.