Abstract
The removal of small molecular weight charged compounds from aqueous solutions using membrane remains a challenge. In this study, polysulfone (PSf)- and sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK)-based membranes were fabricated via non- solvent induced phase separation process (NIPS) using N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent and water as non-solvent. Membranes were characterized structurally and morphologically, followed by toxicity assessment conducted before and after filtration, both with and without annealing at various pH values to evaluate potential leaching of trapped solvent from the membrane pores. Additionally, membrane performance was characterized using binary mixtures of cationic and anionic dyes. The results demonstrated selective filtration behavior, with cationic dyes being preferentially rejected due to size exclusion and electrostatic interactions. Additionally, a key focus of this work was the investigation of solvent leaching, framed within a Safe(r)-by-Design (SbD) approach aimed at enhancing functional performance while minimizing environmental toxicity. Toxicity assessments using a model organism, a nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, revealed that annealing reduced solvent leaching and thus permeate toxicity, particularly at neutral pH values, by facilitating trapped solvent release prior to membrane use. These findings provide insights for the importance of including an SbD approach during membrane casting to fabricate membranes with desirable properties while minimizing toxicity.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2025
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15030087
Funding Information
This study is supported by U.S. National Science Foundation CBET award #2228033. Caenorhabditis elegans strains were provided by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, which is funded by the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440). Chemical analyses were supported by UK-CARES through NIEHS Grant P30 ES026529.
Repository Citation
Yousaf, Muhammad Usman; Cortarelli, Lucca Madeo; Jebet, Nerissa I.; Unrine, Jason M.; Aich, Nirupam; Tsyusko, Olga V.; and Escobar, Isabel C., "Characterization, Performance, and Toxicological Assessment of Polysulfone-Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone Membranes for Water Separation Applications" (2025). Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications. 405.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/markey_facpub/405
Notes/Citation Information
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).