LAUSR

Abstract “In situ polymerization-blending” has been proved as an available approach to introduce capsaicin derivative containing two carbon–carbon double into membranes to enhance anti-fouling ability. However, conventional heating (CH) technique is expensive and time-consuming. In this work, a facile microwave assistance (MWA) approach was proposed for in-situ polymerization of antifouling polysulfone (PSf)/polyethersulfone (PES) and N-(5-methyl acrylamide-2,3,4 hydroxy benzyl) acrylamide (AMTHBA) composite membranes (PSf/PES-AMTHBA membranes) via phase-inversion process. This novel capsaicin derivative AMTHBA contains carbon–carbon double bonds enabled the self-polymerization process, moreover, it is also rich in hydroxyl radicals (–OH) that significantly improves the surface hydrophilicity. The resulting membrane exhibited the best performance in terms of water flux (up to 586.8 LMH) and rejection (98.5%), breaking the trade-off effect. In addition, PSf/PES-AMTHBA membranes also exhibited an outstanding antimicrobial activity with high efficiency (>85%) and excellent resistance to bacteria (E. coli). The present approach would be time-saving and high-efficiently, encouraging its wider application in efficient water purification.