Preparation of CO2 responsive PVDF membranes using PDMAEMA‐PMMA‐PDEAEMA triblock copolymer

Abstract CO 2 ‐responsive based separation membranes are attractive in the field of membrane separation, not only for their ability to modulate the pore size of the membrane in response to CO 2 stimulation, but also for their ability to facilitate the removal of contaminants from the membrane surface. However, the introduction of CO 2 ‐responsive polymers by simple blending often results in membranes that are not responsive enough to last. In this study, we synthesized a hooked triblock copolymer and used it as an additive to prepare CO 2 ‐responsive PVDF membranes. The modified membrane combines the advantages of the PVDF material with the CO 2 response of the triblock copolymer. It not only has good CO 2 responsiveness, but also removes organic contaminants from the membrane surface well. The water flux of the hybrid membranes is 4 to 11 times higher than that of pure PVDF membranes, indicating that the triblock copolymer also has some porogenic ability. Surprisingly, the static contact angle on the membrane surface increased from 67° to 86° with the increase of the triblock copolymer content in the PVDF membrane. This suggests that modified PVDF membranes have some potential in the field of switchable oil–water separation.