Chemical modification of membrane surface — overview

Membrane surface properties critically affect membrane performance as it is the membrane surface that contacts the feed. Chemical modification of membrane surfaces is an attractive method to impart desirable surface properties while retaining the desired bulk polymer properties such as mechanical and chemical resistance and membrane morphology. Fouling or adsorption of undesirable species onto the membrane surface affects membrane properties and leads to compromised performance. Consequently, a great deal of effort has focused on minimizing the unsought accumulation of molecules on the membrane surface. Hence, this review focuses on membrane surface modification for suppression of fouling. Recent progress in the field of chemical modification is highlighted along with challenges and future direction. In particular the development of controlled polymerization methods that permit better control of the three-dimensional structure of the grafted nanolayer has been a major focus of recent research.