Nanoporous hybrid membranes with functional interfaces represent a promising new development for increasing the membrane selectivity of certain substances (Andrieu-Brunsen et al. 2015). By adapting the functionalization of the boundary layers (state of charge, hydrophilicity), e.g. by pH-dependent zwitterionic polymers, permeation in membrane pores can be prevented or accelerated. This is of great importance for sustainable water management in the context of future smart industry concepts. However, the functionality and resistance of such interface layers under application-related test conditions with respect to pressure, pH, cross-flow, permeability and the presence of other ingredients is not yet known. The interdisciplinary cooperation of the research areas “Smart Membranes” and “Wastewater Technology” investigates the fundamentals of the production of functionalized nanoporous interface layers on macroporous substrates and their behavior during crossflow filtration of micropollutant solutions and wastewater. Permeability and selectivity are optimized by repeated iteration and compared with a commercially available polymeric NF membrane as a benchmark.
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