Biobased Interpenetrating Polymer Network Membranes for Sustainable Molecular Sieving.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38377377.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.3c10827 and PMC identifier 10938919.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
There is an urgent need for sustainable alternatives to fossil-based polymer materials. Through nanodomain engineering, we developed, without using toxic cross-linking agents, interpenetrating biopolymer network membranes from natural compounds that have opposing polarity in water. Agarose and natural rubber latex were consecutively self-assembled and self-cross-linked to form patchlike nanodomains. Both nano-Fourier transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy and computational methods revealed the biopolymers' molecular-level entanglement. The membranes exhibited excellent solvent resistance and offered tunable molecular sieving. We demonstrated control over separation performance in the range of 227-623 g mol<sup>-1</sup> via two methodologies: adjusting the molecular composition of the membranes and activating them in water. A carcinogenic impurity at a concentration of 5 ppm, which corresponds to the threshold of toxicological concern, was successfully purged at a negligible 0.56% pharmaceutical loss. The biodegradable nature of the membranes enables an environmentally friendly end-of-life phase; therefore, the membranes have a sustainable lifecycle from cradle to grave.