(731g) Promoted Metallization and Mineralization By Zwitterion Grafting: A Potential Modification of TFC Membranes for Maximized Anti-Fouling Properties Process

A comparative study is conducted to investigate the influence of zwitterions on membrane metallization and mineralization processes. Metallized and mineralized membranes are developed via in-situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and deposition of silver chloride (AgCl) particles on thin-film composite (TFC) membranes pretreated by grafting with two different zwitterions (SO₃^--based and COO^--based), respectively. Both metallized and mineralized membranes with zwitterion pretreatment exhibit much higher AgNPs and AgCl loading amount compared to that without zwitterion pretreatment, resulting in significantly improved anti-microbial and anti-fouling properties without compromising the separation performance. Moreover, it is found for the first time that COO^--based zwitterion achieves better results in promoting the metallization and mineralization degrees than SO₃^--based zwitterion. The underlying mechanisms are further revealed by the Gibbs free energy of the binding between zwitterions and Ag⁺ calculated via Density Functional Theory (DFT).