EAGER: Enhanced Performance Membranes by Scalable High Throughput Modification

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

This EAGER Grant application involves a radically different approach to membrane synthesis and testing, applies new expertise (high throughput platform (HTP) modification method with photo-induced graft polymerization (PGP) (HTP-PGP) method with surface agitation and measurement of protein sieving), and engages novel interdisciplinary perspectives (combines knowledge of polymer chemistry and fluid mechanics). Few polymers have been used for membrane filtration production over the past 35 years, because of effort, expense and time. A novel, fast, efficient and reproducible high throughput platform (HTP) modification method with photo-induced graft polymerization (PGP) (HTP-PGP method) that allowed synthesis and selection of the most protein fouling-resistant polymer from 66 functionalized surfaces for membrane separations has been developed. However, this new HTP-PGP method is not easily scalable and needs to include mixing and protein sieving to be really useful and predictable with high confidence. The fast, efficient and reproducible HTP-PGP method is a major contribution to the high throughput synthesis, screening and selection for material science and membrane technology. HTP-PGP selected previously reported protein-resistant surface chemistries, discovered several new monomers and gave reproducible results. However, for the HTP-PGP to be truly useful for fundamental studies and scalable for industrial applications, it should also include cross-flow with time-dependent tracking of permeation volume and solute (sieving) flux. In this research, HTP-PGP will be transformed so that it can evaluate and select the best polymers from many 100s of functionalized surfaces under scalable conditions; and analyze the mechanism of grafting to gain understanding for future design of surfaces for membrane separations. With previous results over the past 17 years with membrane surface modification and the HTP-PGP method as a springboard, the following two specific aims for the research with the 96 filter-well format are proposed: 1. To implement and model crossflow (mixing) within each of the 96-wells. 2. To employ periodic measurements of volume and solute flux with the same crossflow to test, screen and scale-up the best performing graft polymerized membranes using single-protein filtration and 1 relevant biotechnology feed (E. coli broth). The proposed study addresses a pressing need in the biotechnology, food, beverage, drinking water purification, wastewater treatment and bio-fuel industries for new low bio-fouling synthetic membranes. Like personalized medicine, particularized membranes for different applications can improve efficiency, and reduce costs and energy requirements. The work will promote discovery by offering previously untested novel membrane materials that exhibit low fouling, and will present a scalable HTP-PGP method for membrane manufacturers and users. The research will advance mechanistic understanding by elucidating the major requirements for a fouling resistant membrane. Results of this research will benefit society by reducing energy consumption of biochemical processes by lowering protein/peptide fouling of synthetic membranes during bioprocessing (known to cause substantial drops in performance, sometimes approaching 80%) and hence lowering operating pressures. The project will promote training and learning by involving undergraduate science and engineering majors through the Rensselaer Undergraduate Research Program and by involving high school seniors through the Questar program. Female and minority students will again be recruited to broaden participation of underrepresented groups, exposing students to modern high throughput technology, combinatorial chemistry, interfacial science, analytical chemistry and bioprocessing.