Permeation Control through Porous Membranes Immobilized with Thermosensitive Polymer

• DOI: 10.1021/la970866r
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T05:28:13Z
• Authors: Yong Soon Park; Yoshihiro Ito; Yukio Imanishi
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Permeation through a porous polycarbonate membrane, on which a thermosensitive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), was immobilized, was investigated. For photoimmobilization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), photoreactive azidophenyl group was connected to the polymer either at a chain terminal or in side chains. The two types of derivatized polymers had different lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Prescribed amounts of the derivatized polymer were cast on the polycarbonate membrane and photoirradiated. When a small amount of polymer was used, a thin layer of immobilized polymer was not enough to cover pores of the polycarbonate membrane, while a thick gel layer of immobilized polymer was formed on the polycarbonate membrane to cover pores when a large amount of polymer was used. The former is represented by “porous membrane”, and the latter by “nonporous membrane”. The rate of water permeation through the porous membranes changed at different temperatures, although permeation through nonimmobili...