This proposal aims to develop and demonstrate ultrafiltration pretreatment membranes that resist organic fouling and biofouling through dual mechanisms, manufactured through a novel scalable…

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $407,404.90 Cooperative Agreement to Trustees of Tufts College, doing business as Tufts University, on September 14, 2023. This award is funded under the Desalination and Water Purification Research (DWPR) program (CFDA 15.506), which supports research to augment the nation's usable water supply through advanced treatment technologies.

The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate ultrafiltration pretreatment membranes that resist organic fouling and biofouling through dual mechanisms, using a novel scalable manufacturing process. The membranes will feature ultra-thin, zwitterionic hydrogel selective layers to resist organic compound adsorption, as well as anti-microbial bio-based nanomaterials to prevent biofilm growth and improve durability. If successful, this research aims to decrease the costs and energy use associated with membrane desalination while improving reliability.

This proposal aims to develop and demonstrate ultrafiltration pretreatment membranes that resist organic fouling and biofouling through dual mechanisms, manufactured through a novel scalable manufacturing process. These membranes will feature ultra-thin, zwitterionic hydrogel selective layers that strongly resist the adsorptive fouling by organic compounds, as well as anti-microbial BIO-based nanomaterials for preventing biofilm growth on the surface and improving durability. If successful, this work will lead to the development of a new membrane family that will decrease costs and energy use associated with membrane desalination and improve its reliability.