Stimuli responsive conductive polyaniline membrane: In-filtration electrical tuneability of flux and MWCO

The results demonstrated that the electrically conductive PANI membranes showed a decrease in permeance and MWCO under the applied potential in the cross-flow filtrations, with a higher applied potential producing to a larger decrease. The PANI membrane (Tpoly = 15 °C) showing the greatest MWCO decrease (down to 2800 g mol−1) at 30 V from 6000 g mol−1 at 0 V. It was hypothesised that the swelling of polymer chains caused the narrowing of pore size of membranes on the application of high external potential and resulted in reduction of membrane flux and MWCO. Overall these results suggest that the electrically conductive PANI membranes can self-regulatively adjust their separation properties in response to electrical stimuli, allowing control over neutrally charged molecules transport beyond the ion based separations under applied potential.