Plasma deposition of silver nanoparticles on ultrafiltration membranes: antibacterial and antibiofouling properties

CRUZ, MERCEDES CECILIA; WOLF, MARCUS; SCHMITTGENS, RALPH; CASTRO VIDAURRE, ELZA; RAJAL, VERONICA

Aachen

Conferencia; 6th IWA Specialist Conference on Membrane Technology for water and wastewater treatment; 2011

International Water Association

Trabajo aceptado para su presentación en formato poster.Abstract: The use of membranes  for water purification  is increasing, yet  the microbiological contamination  (biofouling)  of polymeric membranes  and  associated decrease in membrane flux  reduce the  efficacy of the process.  Unwanted effects include increasing manufacturing and energy costs, destruction of membranes,  reduction in operating life times, and secondary contamination of water by the metabolic products of microorganisms  [1-3].  To reduce the  incidence  of  biofouling,  ultrafiltration membranes have been synthesized with silver nanoparticles  (Ag-NP) in their matrix [1-4]. In this work  a  new vacuum-based method for nanocomposite thin film fabrication [5-7] is used to deposit Ag-NP on the membrane surface. Commercial membranes were activated with low temperature plasma with different gases (Ar and O2), then a thin polymer film of Poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) was deposited  by  plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD)  and  finally subjected to silver nanoparticle deposition  by gas flow sputtering (GFS). These modifications were made to pursue the final objective of improving  the efficiency of the  water  disinfection process and develop membrane systems that are  less susceptible to biofouling due to the bactericidal activity of the deposited Ag-NP.