Dynamic adsorption of Rhodamine B from dilute aqueous solutions using negatively-charged membrane adsorbers

Abstract

A series of polyethersulfone membranes with integrated cross-linked poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) were synthesized using a combination of the traditional immersion precipitation process for making membranes and photopolymerization. Negative charges were introduced using AMPS as a reactive monomer. Presence of sulfonic groups was confirmed by FTIR-ATR spectra. Changes in membrane morphology as a function of AMPS concentration in the casting solution were investigated by SEM. Membrane charge was evaluated from streaming potential measurements using a specially constructed device. Dynamic adsorption of Rhodamine B was used to demonstrate effects of monomer concentration on the properties and separation performance.