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Fabricating Janus Membranes via Physicochemical Selective Chemical Vapor Deposition
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  • Mahdi Mohammadi Ghaleni,
  • Elham Tavakoli,
  • Mona Bavarian,
  • Siamak Nejati
Mahdi Mohammadi Ghaleni
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Corresponding Author:mahdim@huskers.unl.edu

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Elham Tavakoli
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Mona Bavarian
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Siamak Nejati
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Abstract

Membranes with asymmetric wettability-Janus membranes-have recently received considerable attention for a variety of critical applications. Nonetheless, the current methods for making such membranes are still challenging. Here, we report on a simple approach to introduce asymmetric wettability into hydrophilic porous domains. Our approach is based on the physicochemical-selective deposition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on hydrophilic polymeric substrates. The physicochemical inhibition was achieved through prefilling the substrates with glycerol, containing a known amount of free radical inhibitors. We showed that the glycerol/inhibitor mixture hinders the deposition of PTFE within the membrane pores. As a result, the surface of the substrates remains open and porous. The fabricated Janus membranes show stable wetting-resistant properties, evaluated through sessile drop contact angle measurements and direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD).
10 Apr 2020Submitted to AIChE Journal
15 Apr 2020Submission Checks Completed
15 Apr 2020Assigned to Editor
16 Apr 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 May 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
30 Jun 20201st Revision Received
06 Jul 2020Submission Checks Completed
06 Jul 2020Assigned to Editor
08 Jul 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
03 Aug 2020Editorial Decision: Accept