Harnessing mono-2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl succinate grafting for robust micro/nanoplastic-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract

The growing presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in water systems poses a serious threat to conventional treatment processes, particularly membrane filtration. This study focuses on a surface modification strategy for commercial ultrafiltration (UF) membranes via plasma-induced grafting of mono-2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl succinate (MMES) to enhance resistance against MP/NPs fouling. The membranes were characterised using advanced analytical techniques, including high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), confirming successful grafting, increased hydrophilicity, and a more negative surface charge. At optimal conditions of grafting (2 min pretreatment, 0.5 M monomer concentration, and 3 h grafting time), the modified membrane achieved a relative water flux (RWF) of 0.90 and flux recovery rate (FRR) of 91.35 %, representing improvements of 119 % and 52 % respectively, compared to the control membrane, which showed an RWF of 0.41 and an FRR of 60 %. Although the pure water flux (PWF) of the optimised membrane (133 LMH) was slightly lower than that of the control (137 LMH), the significant enhancement in antifouling performance underscores its practical advantage. Long-term stability tests confirmed that at optimised conditions the modified membrane maintained its enhanced performance over time, due to stable covalent bonding between MMES and the membrane matrix. The findings highlight the effectiveness of MMES grafting in to mitigate fouling and to improve membrane performance, demonstrating its practical applicability for advanced water treatment.

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

1-1-2026

Volume

81

Publication Title

Journal of Water Process Engineering

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Engineering / Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences

Funders

Australian Research Council / AMP Foundation

Grant Number

ARC Number : DE220101043

Comments

Najafi, M., Farahbakhsh, J., Golgoli, M., Johns, M., & Zargar, M. (2025). Harnessing mono-2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl succinate grafting for robust micro/nanoplastic-resistant ultrafiltration membranes. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 81, 109236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.109236

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.109236