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SURFACE MODIFICATION OF SILICA- AND CELLULOSE-BASED MICROFILTRATION MEMBRANES WITH FUNCTIONAL POLYAMINO ACIDS FOR HEAVY METAL SORPTION
Citation:
Ritchie, S. C., L. G. Bachas, T. Olin, S K. Sikdar*, AND D. Bhattacharyya. SURFACE MODIFICATION OF SILICA- AND CELLULOSE-BASED MICROFILTRATION MEMBRANES WITH FUNCTIONAL POLYAMINO ACIDS FOR HEAVY METAL SORPTION. LANGMUIR 15(19):6346-6357, (1999).
Description:
Functionalized membranes represent a field with multiple applications. Examination of specific metal-macromolecule interactions on these surfaces presents an excellent method for characterizion of these materials. These interactions may also be exploited for heavy metal sorption from drinking and industrial water sources. Various low-capacity silica-based ion-exchange and chelating sorbents (about 0.5 mmol of metal/g of resin) are available for treatment of such waters. Cellulosic membrane-based sorbents, functionalized with polyamino acids, present an excellent approach for high-capacity (3-14 mmol of metal/g of sorbent) metal sorption. Silica-based membrane sorbents possess metal sorption capacities approaching those of cellulose-based membrane sorbents with various polyamino acids range from 0.6mmol to 1.4 mmol of metal/g of sorbent. Ion exchange, chelation, and electrostatic interactions form the basis of metal sorption. Electrostatic interactions are greatly magnified in membrane-based sorbents, and are partly responsible for their high capacities. Regeneration of these sorbents has also been shown, including the possibility for selective desorption of metals.