Catechol-Ag interlayer constructed nanofiltration membrane for efficient purification of glucose from sugars

A novel nanofiltration (NF) membrane is developed for efficiently separating monosaccharide from disaccharide. A hydrophilic catechol (CT)-Ag interlayer is proposed and co-deposited on a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) substrate, and then interfacial polymerization (IP) of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and trimethyl chloride (TMC) is carried out. The silver nanoparticles obtained through the reduction reaction are used to precisely regulate the unique selective structure with quinone aggregates and polyamides. The composite NF membrane achieved a pure water flux of 31.2 L m⁻² h⁻¹ at 0.5 MPa with 81.2 % sucrose rejection and 17.5 % glucose rejection. Performance evaluation in dyes, proteins, and bacteria systems also showcased the great performance of the membrane. Following the filtration of methyl orange and BSA, the flux recovery rates of the PAN/CT-Ag interlayer/PEI + TMC membrane reached 98.7 % and 98.1 %, respectively. The designed structure of silver nanoparticles in membrane enhances the anti-fouling properties through interactions with bacterial proteins. The developed membrane shows promising potential for glucose purification.