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Blagojevic N, Müller M. Simulation of Membrane Fabrication via Solvent Evaporation and Nonsolvent-Induced Phase Separation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:57913-57927. [PMID: 37222486 PMCID: PMC10739593 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c03126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymer membranes offer a bottom-up approach to form isoporous membranes that are useful for ultrafiltration of functional macromolecules, colloids, and water purification. The fabrication of isoporous block copolymer membranes from a mixed film of an asymmetric block copolymer and two solvents involves two stages: First, the volatile solvent evaporates, creating a polymer skin, in which the block copolymer self-assembles into a top layer, comprised of perpendicularly oriented cylinders, via evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA). This top layer imparts selectivity onto the membrane. Subsequently, the film is brought into contact with a nonsolvent, and the exchange between the remaining nonvolatile solvent and nonsolvent through the self-assembled top layer results in nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). Thereby, a macroporous support for the functional top layer that imparts mechanical stability onto the system without significantly affecting permeability is fabricated. We use a single, particle-based simulation technique to investigate the sequence of both processes, EISA and NIPS. The simulations identify a process window, which allows for the successful in silico fabrication of integral-asymmetric, isoporous diblock copolymer membranes, and provide direct insights into the spatiotemporal structure formation and arrest. The role of the different thermodynamic (e.g., solvent selectivity for the block copolymer components) and kinetic (e.g., plasticizing effect of the solvent) characteristics is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Blagojevic
- Institute for Theoretical
Physics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical
Physics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Grzetic DJ, Cooper AJ, Delaney KT, Fredrickson GH. Modeling Microstructure Formation in Block Copolymer Membranes Using Dynamical Self-Consistent Field Theory. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:8-13. [PMID: 36521059 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymers have attracted recent interest as candidate materials for ultrafiltration membranes, due to their ability to form isoporous integral-asymmetric membranes by the combined processes of self-assembly and nonsolvent-induced phase separation (SNIPS). However, the dependence of surface layer and substructure morphologies on the processing variables associated with SNIPS is not well understood nor is the interplay between microphase and macrophase separation in block copolymers undergoing such coagulation. Here, we use dynamical self-consistent field theory to simulate the microstructure evolution of block copolymer films during SNIPS and find that such films form the desired sponge-like asymmetric porous substructure only if the solvent and nonsolvent have opposite block selectivities and that otherwise they form a dense nonporous microphase-separated film. Our results could have important implications for the choices of solvent and nonsolvent in the processing of block copolymer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Grzetic
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California93106, United States
| | - Anthony J Cooper
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California93106, United States
| | - Kris T Delaney
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California93106, United States
| | - Glenn H Fredrickson
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California93106, United States.,Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California93106, United States
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Dreyer O, Ibbeken G, Schneider L, Blagojevic N, Radjabian M, Abetz V, Müller M. Simulation of Solvent Evaporation from a Diblock Copolymer Film: Orientation of the Cylindrical Mesophase. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Dreyer
- Institut für Membranforschung, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Gregor Ibbeken
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck School Matter to Life, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ludwig Schneider
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Niklas Blagojevic
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maryam Radjabian
- Institut für Membranforschung, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Volker Abetz
- Institut für Membranforschung, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Müller M, Abetz V. Nonequilibrium Processes in Polymer Membrane Formation: Theory and Experiment. Chem Rev 2021; 121:14189-14231. [PMID: 34032399 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Porous polymer and copolymer membranes are useful for ultrafiltration of functional macromolecules, colloids, and water purification. In particular, block copolymer membranes offer a bottom-up approach to form isoporous membranes. To optimize permeability, selectivity, longevity, and cost, and to rationally design fabrication processes, direct insights into the spatiotemporal structure evolution are necessary. Because of a multitude of nonequilibrium processes in polymer membrane formation, theoretical predictions via continuum models and particle simulations remain a challenge. We compiled experimental observations and theoretical approaches for homo- and block copolymer membranes prepared by nonsolvent-induced phase separation and highlight the interplay of multiple nonequilibrium processes─evaporation, solvent-nonsolvent exchange, diffusion, hydrodynamic flow, viscoelasticity, macro- and microphase separation, and dynamic arrest─that dictates the complex structure of the membrane on different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Müller
- Georg-August Universität, Institut für Theoretische Physik, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Volker Abetz
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institut für Membranforschung, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.,Universität Hamburg, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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A new approach to phase-field model for the phase separation dynamics in polymer membrane formation by immersion precipitation method. POLYMER 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2019.122054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Tree DR, F Dos Santos L, Wilson CB, Scott TR, Garcia JU, Fredrickson GH. Mass-transfer driven spinodal decomposition in a ternary polymer solution. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:4614-4628. [PMID: 31025034 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00355j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) is a widely occuring process used in industrial membrane production, nanotechnology and Nature to produce microstructured polymer materials. A variety of process-dependent morphologies are produced when a polymer solution is exposed to a nonsolvent that, following a period where mass is exchanged, precipitates and solidifies the polymer. Despite years of investigation, both experimental and theoretical, many questions surround the pathways to the microstructures that NIPS can produce. Here, we provide simulation results from a model that simultaneously captures both the processess of solvent/nonsolvent exchange and phase separation. We show that the time it takes the nonsolvent to diffuse to the bottom of the film is an important timescale, and that phase separation is possible at times both much smaller and much larger than this scale. Our results include both one-dimensional simulations of the mass transfer kinetics and two- and three-dimensional simulations of morphologies at both short and long times. We find good qualitative agreement with experimental heuristics, but we conclude that an additional model for the vitrification process will be key for fully explaining experimental observations of microstructure formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Tree
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
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Cervellere MR, Tang YH, Qian X, Ford DM, Millett PC. Mesoscopic simulations of thermally-induced phase separation in PVDF/DPC solutions. J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Tree DR, Iwama T, Delaney KT, Lee J, Fredrickson GH. Marangoni Flows during Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation. ACS Macro Lett 2018; 7:582-586. [PMID: 35632935 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Motivated by the much discussed, yet unexplained, presence of macrovoids in polymer membranes, we explore the impact of Marangoni flows in the process of nonsolvent induced phase separation. Such flows have been hypothesized to be important to the formation of macrovoids, but little quantitative evidence has been produced to date. Using a recently developed multifluid phase field model, we find that roll cells indicative of a solutal Marangoni instability are manifest during solvent/nonsolvent exchange across a stable interface. However, these flows are weak and subsequently do not produce morphological features that might lead to macrovoid formation. By contrast, initial conditions that lead to an immediate precipitation of the polymer film coincide with large Marangoni flows that disturb the interface. The presence of such flows suggests a new experimental and theoretical direction in the search for a macrovoid formation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R. Tree
- Chemical Engineering Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Tatsuhiro Iwama
- Asahi Kasei Corporation, 2-1 Samejima, Fuji, Shizuoka 416-8501, Japan
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Peng N, Widjojo N, Sukitpaneenit P, Teoh MM, Lipscomb GG, Chung TS, Lai JY. Evolution of polymeric hollow fibers as sustainable technologies: Past, present, and future. Prog Polym Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2012.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Han Y, Wang J, Zhang H. Effects of kinetics coefficients on ternary phase separation during the wet spinning process. J Appl Polym Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/app.36478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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He X, Chen C, Jiang Z, Su Y. Computer simulation of formation of polymeric ultrafiltration membrane via immersion precipitation. J Memb Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2011.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Römer L, Scheibel T. The elaborate structure of spider silk: structure and function of a natural high performance fiber. Prion 2008; 2:154-61. [PMID: 19221522 DOI: 10.4161/pri.2.4.7490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials, having evolved over millions of years, often exceed man-made materials in their properties. Spider silk is one outstanding fibrous biomaterial which consists almost entirely of large proteins. Silk fibers have tensile strengths comparable to steel and some silks are nearly as elastic as rubber on a weight to weight basis. In combining these two properties, silks reveal a toughness that is two to three times that of synthetic fibers like Nylon or Kevlar. Spider silk is also antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and completely biodegradable. This article focuses on the structure-function relationship of the characterized highly repetitive spider silk spidroins and their conformational conversion from solution into fibers. Such knowedge is of crucial importance to understanding the intrinsic properties of spider silk and to get insight into the sophisticated assembly processes of silk proteins. This review further outlines recent progress in recombinant production of spider silk proteins and their assembly into distinct polymer materials as a basis for novel products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Römer
- Universität Bayreuth, Fakultät für angew. Naturwissenschaften, Lehrstuhl für Biomaterialien, Bayreuth, Germany
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Akthakul A, Scott CE, Mayes AM, Wagner AJ. Lattice Boltzmann simulation of asymmetric membrane formation by immersion precipitation. J Memb Sci 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2004.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Termonia Y. Molecular Modeling of Structure Development upon Quenching of a Polymer Solution. Macromolecules 1997. [DOI: 10.1021/ma970565o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yves Termonia
- Central Research and Development, Experimental Station, E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware 19880-0356
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15
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Termonia Y. Molecular modeling of phase-inversion membranes: effect of additives in the coagulant. J Memb Sci 1995. [DOI: 10.1016/0376-7388(95)00032-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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