Effect of a Ag nanoparticle filler on the performance and antibiofouling properties of a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane

A novel polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane containing Ag nanoparticles (nAg) was fabricated via a phase inversion method. The effect of the content of nAg on the performance of these membranes was extensively characterized. Antibacterial tests were also performed to examine the ability of the PVDF-Ag membranes to overcome biofouling. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction results confirmed the presence of nAg in the polymer matrix. The hydrophilic nature and antibacterial capacity of the membranes both depended on the nAg content of the membrane matrix (i.e., these parameters increased with the nAg content). On the other hand, the fouling mechanism of the prepared membranes was not modified upon incorporation of nAg. The PVDF membrane containing 0.2 wt% of nAg exhibited optimum transport properties, thereby showing great potential for developing high-performance antifouling membranes for separation processes.