title: Nanoscale Pillar-Enhanced Tribological Surfaces as Antifouling Membranes.
abstract: We present a nonconventional membrane surface modification approach that utilizes surface topography to manipulate the tribology of foulant accumulation on water desalination membranes via imprinting of submicron titanium dioxide (TiO2) pillar patterns onto the molecularly structured, flat membrane surface. This versatile approach overcomes the constraint of the conventional approach relying on interfacial polymerization that inevitably leads to the formation of ill-defined surface topography. Compared to the nonpatterned membranes, the patterned membranes showed significantly improved fouling resistance for both organic protein and bacterial foulants. The use of hydrophilic TiO2as a pattern material increases the membrane hydrophilicity, imparting improved chemical antifouling resistance to the membrane. Fouling behavior was also interpreted in terms of the topographical effect depending on the relative size of foulants to the pattern dimension. In addition, computational fluid dynamics simulation suggests that the enhanced antifouling of the patterned membrane is attributed to the enhancement in overall and local shear stress at the fluid-TiO2pattern interface.
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Wansuk
authors: W
authors: Choi
authors: Materials Science and Engineering Division, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) , 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.
authors: Edwin P
authors: EP
authors: Chan
authors: Department of Chemistry, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jong-Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Park
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Won-Gi
authors: WG
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyun Wook
authors: HW
authors: Jung
authors: School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seungkwan
authors: S
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University , 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jong Suk
authors: JS
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University , 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji-Young
authors: JY
authors: Han
authors: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University , 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sangpil
authors: S
authors: Park
authors: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University , 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors: Doo-Hyun
authors: DH
authors: Ko
authors: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University , 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jung-Hyun
authors: JH
authors: Lee
keywords: antifouling; layer-by-layer assembly; membranes; nanoscale patterns; reverse osmosis; thin film composites; water desalination