NSF Award
2424118
Organic matter, proteins, and biological organisms tend to stick to surfaces that are submerged for long periods. This layer formation process is called “fouling,” and the things that stick are called “foulants.” Membranes used for water treatment experience fouling, leading to frequent maintenance and reduced efficiency. In heat exchangers, fouling decreases thermal efficiency, increasing energy consumption and operational costs. In marine environments, biofouling on ship hulls increases drag, leading to higher fuel consumption. To address the operational challenges and energy inefficiencies posed by fouling, this project aims to develop high-performance antifouling coatings to help prevent fouling from occurring before it becomes a problem. The team will explore the effectiveness of using a type of polymer called aromatic polyamide brushes, which will be modified with chemical side chains of various functions, as antifouling coatings. The innovative approach leverages the inherent stability and robustness of the underlying aromatic polyamide structures, enhanced with antifouling functionalities, to provide durable and effective surface coatings. Developing new antifouling polymer chemistries that can be coated on large substrates using mild synthesis conditions (i.e., open to air, fast reaction times, lower pressure, etc.), exhibit a sustained resistance to multiple foulants, and have robust physical and chemical stability in submerged environments, will bring significant economic benefits to industries in which fouling plagues system performance and longevity. This research project will also develop an outreach program by leveraging an existing NSF-funded research experience for undergraduates site at George Washington University. The program will expose undergraduate students to K-12 lesson development and, simultaneously, will provide high school students and teachers with learning opportunities in the surface chemistry and engineering fields.<br/><br/>Antifouling surface coatings that resist the adsorption of organic matter and bacterial cells are desired in many applications, including water filtration membranes, heat exchangers, and ship hulls. However, current antifouling polymers based on aliphatic backbones often lack long-term stability in submerged environments. This project focuses on the antifouling behavior of a novel class of aromatic polyamide brushes. The overall goal of this proposal is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the novel antifouling properties of side-chain functionalized aromatic polyamide brushes to inform the design of high-performance antifouling coatings. The specific objectives are: 1) Synthesize aromatic polyamide brushes with well-controlled grafting density, thickness, and side-chain functionalization; 2) Combine experimental characterization and computational simulation to fundamentally understand antifouling mechanisms of aromatic polyamide brushes; and 3) Develop material design guidelines for aromatic polyamide brushes on various substrates using an iterative process that integrates chemical synthesis, performance characterization, and molecular simulations. The development of this novel class of antifouling polymer brushes, using a simple, versatile, and scalable synthetic procedure, will aid in transferring polymer brushes from small-scale laboratory systems to real-world applications. The development of more realistic molecular models and computational methods to search for fouling locations will aid the structural design and optimization of aromatic polyamide brushes for a range of anti-fouling applications. This project will train the next generation of engineering and chemistry students by engaging them in cutting-edge, collaborative research. In addition, a series of activities will be developed to educate K-12 students about the chemistry and engineering related to antifouling surfaces by incorporating education workshops into existing courses. Working with local high school STEM teachers, these activities will be integrated into classrooms to stimulate students’ interest in pursuing a STEM career.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
