27 / 27
NanoMat 2018
Nano Research & Applications
ISSN: 2471-9838
Page 94
April 26-27, 2018
Rome, Italy
17
th
Edition of International Conference on
Emerging Trends in
Materials Science and
Nanotechnology
N
anoporous membranes attract increasing attention due
to their applications in molecular separations, biosensing,
drug-delivery and catalysis. Many of these applications require
control over the nanopore size with a narrow size distribution
and the ability to further modify the membrane surface. Most
currently used membranes are formed by introducing pores into
bulk materials in a variety of irreversible processes. Membranes
formed fromnanoparticles usingnon-covalent interactions, on the
other hand, are capable of reversible assembly which could prove
useful for fabrication, processing, cleaning, reusing and would
possess facile control over the membrane porosity and nanopore
surface properties. This talk will describe the preparation and
characterization of durable, reversible nanoporous ultrafiltration
membranes with controlled thickness, area and pore size by self-
assembly of silica nanoparticles grafted with polymer brushes
(hairy nanoparticles, HNPs). The nanoparticles used to form the
membranes were prepared by first modifying their surface with
2- bromoisobutyryl bromide (ATRP initiator). The pSPM-r-pEEMA,
pDMAEMA-r-pMMA, pSPM, pHEMA, pHEMA-r-pSPMandpSPM-r-
pEEMA brushes were grown on the surface of silica spheres using
ATRP. We prepared three types of HNP membranes: membranes
made of HNPs grafted with polymer brushes carrying acidic and
basic groups, membranes in which the grafted polymer brushes
have neutral groups, and membranes grafted with negatively
charged polymer brushes. Depending on the HNP building block
type themembranes are stable inmost organic solvents andeasily
disassemble in water, or water-stable and capable of disassembly
in organic solvents. All types of membranes are nanoporous and
capable of size-selective transport and ultrafiltration. We will also
describe the formation of nanoporous membranes from HNPs
grafted with copolymer brushes carrying functional groups in the
side chain, and combining reversibility with ultrafiltration, charge
selectivity and affinity properties.
i.zharov@utah.eduHairy nanoparticles as building blocks for nanoporous
membranes
Ilya Zharov
and
Yulia Yegeris
University of Utah, USA
Nano Res Appl, Volume:4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-9838-C1-009