Amine-Terminated PAN Membranes as Anion-Adsorber Materials

Abstract

Anion-adsorbing membranes provide an interesting possibility to remove toxic arsenate and chromate from drinking water. A promising way to prepare anion-exchange materials is to introduce positively charged amine groups on polymers. In this study, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration membranes were modified with amine functionalities on the membranes. The success of the modifications was demonstrated using infrared spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. Additionally, the arsenate adsorption was analyzed. The modified membrane showed arsenate adsorption 5 times higher than the pristine PAN membrane.