Claims
- 1. A composite porous membrane comprising a hydrophobic substrate coated with difunctional surface-modifying molecules, each difunctional surface-modifying molecule comprising a hydrophobic portion associated with the substrate and a hydrophilic portion, wherein the surface-modifying molecules are crosslinked to form a crosslinked hydrophilic polymeric network at the surface of the membrane.
- 2. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic portion of the surface-modifying molecules comprises at least two crosslinking active groups.
- 3. The membrane according to claim 2, wherein the crosslinking active group comprises a carbon-carbon double bond.
- 4. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the difunctional surface-modifying molecules comprise difunctional acrylate molecules.
- 5. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein 100% of molecules associated with the substrate comprise difunctional surface-modifying molecules.
- 6. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic group is a hydrophobic alkyl, aromatic group, or olefinic hydrocarbon group.
- 7. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic group comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon molecule.
- 8. The membrane according to claim 7, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon comprises a bisphenol A group.
- 9. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic group does not form covalent bonds with the surface.
- 10. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic group is positively charged.
- 11. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic group is negatively charged.
- 12. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic group comprises a neutral charge.
- 13. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic group comprises the general formula [—Xn1—Y—CR═CH2]n2 where X is independently selected from the group consisting of (—CH2-CH2-O—); (—CH2-O—); (—CH2-CH(COOH)—); (—CH2-CH(OH)—); Y is selected from the group consisting of ([—CH2-]n3); (—COO—); n1 is from about 1-50; n2 is from about 1-2; and n3 can be from about 1 to about 50.
- 14. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the difunctional surface modifying molecules are polymerized on the substrate surface after being preferentially adsorbed with the substrate surface.
- 15. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the difunctional surface molecules comprise ethoxylated (30) bisphenol A diacrylates.
- 16. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is preferentially adsorbed by the substrate surface.
- 17. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator comprises a substantially hydrophobic molecule.
- 18. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of the photoinitiators shown in FIGS. 2A-2O.
- 19. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the membrane has an average pore size of from about greater than 0 μm to about 10 μm.
- 20. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic substrate comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.
- 21. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is wettable within less than about 30 seconds after drying upon contacting with an aqueous solution.
- 22. The membrane according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is autoclavable.
- 23. A method for making a composite porous membrane with a hydrophilic surface, comprising:
a) providing a hydrophobic substrate; b) coating the hydrophobic substrate with difunctional surface-modifying monomer molecules, wherein the difunctional surface-modifying molecules comprise a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion and wherein the surface-modifying molecules are associated with substrate via their hydrophobic portions; and c) crosslinking the surface-modifying molecules to form a crosslinked hydrophilic polymer network on the surface of the substrate.
- 24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the coating is performed using a flow-through method.
- 25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the substrate is immersed the reagent bath comprising a solution of difunctional surface-modifying molecules and a photoinitiator, and wherein the solution is forced through the substrate.
- 26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the reagent bath further comprises a solvent.
- 27. The method according to claim 23 wherein the photoinitiator comprises a substantially hydrophobic molecule.
- 28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the photoinitiator is a molecule selected from the group consisting of photoinitiators shown in FIGS. 2A-2O.
- 29. The method according to the claim 23, wherein the membrane is exposed to actinic radiation for a sufficient period of time to polymerize the difunctional surface-modifying molecules on the substrate.
- 30. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophilic portion of the surface-modifying molecules comprises at least two crosslinking active groups.
- 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the at least one crosslinking active group comprises a carbon-carbon double bond.
- 32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the difunctional surface-modifying molecules comprise difunctional acrylate molecules.
- 33. The method according to claim 23, wherein 100% of molecules associated with the substrate comprise difunctional surface-modifying molecules.
- 34. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic group is a hydrophobic alkyl, an aromatic group, or olefinic hydrocarbon group.
- 35. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic group comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon molecule.
- 36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon comprises a bisphenol A group.
- 37. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic portion of the surface-modifying molecule does not form covalent bonds with the surface.
- 38. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophilic group is positively charged.
- 39. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophilic group is negatively charged.
- 40. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophilic group comprises a neutral charge.
- 41. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophilic group comprises the general formula [—Xn1—Y—CR═CH2]n2 where X is independently selected from the group consisting of (—CH2-CH2-O—); (—CH2-O—); (—CH2-CH(COOH)—); (—CH2-CH(OH)—); Y is selected from the group consisting of ([—CH2-]n3); (—COO—); n1 is from about 1-50; n2 is from about 1-2; and n3 can be from about 1 to about 50.
- 42. The method according to claim 23, wherein the difunctional surface modifying molecules are polymerized on the substrate surface after being preferentially adsorbed with the substrate surface.
- 43. The method according to claim 23, wherein the difunctional surface molecules comprise ethoxylated (30) bisphenol A diacrylates.
- 44. The method according to claim 23, wherein the membrane has an average pore size of from greater than about 0 μm to about 10 μm.
- 45. The method according to claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic substrate comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.
- 46. The method according to claim 23, wherein the membrane is wettable within less than about 30 seconds after drying upon contacting with an aqueous solution.
- 47. The method according to claim 23, wherein the membrane is autoclavable.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/407,856, filed Sep. 3, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60407856 |
Sep 2002 |
US |