Functionalization of polysulfone hollow fiber membranes with amphiphilic β-cyclodextrin and their applications for the removal of endocrine disrupting plasticizer

For the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), from drinking water, we prepared β-cyclodextrin included polysulfone (PSf/CD) hollow fiber membranes. β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) was modified with fatty acid chlorides to produce amphiphilic β-CDs. PSf/CD hollow fiber membrane was prepared from polysulfone (PSf) dope solution with those amphiphilic β-CDs by phase inversion process. In the membrane formation process, the amphiphilic β-CDs migrated to the membrane surfaces via hydrophilic- and hydrophobic-mediated self-assembly. The performances of PSf/CD hollow fiber membranes were measured and the results showed that PSf/CD hollow fiber membranes can effectively remove DEHP from aqueous solutions and provided good water permeability.

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► Amphiphilic β-CD was synthesized and combined to PSf membrane by phase inversion.
► Amphiphilic β-CD migrated to the membrane surfaces via self-assembly.
► PSf/CD membranes removed DEHP effectively and provided good water permeability.