Anti-fouling ultrafiltration membrane made from surface saponification of poly(vinyl acetate-co-vinyl pivalate) with enhanced syndiotacticity

Syndiotactic poly(vinyl acetate-co-vinyl pivalate) was synthesized for the fabrication of anti-fouling membranes. The mechanical strength of the syndiotactic PVA membrane was retained by a selective surface saponification reaction and the solubility of PVA on the surface was reduced by introducing syndiotacticity. The selective saponification reaction of the membrane was monitored by FT-IR and contact angle measurements. The fouling resistance was analyzed by measuring the flux of the protein solution as well as the adsorption of humic acid and E. coli on the membrane surface. The surface modification of the syndiotactic polymer membrane provided good mechanical strength and better biofouling resistance.