Zwitterion-functionalized copolymer hollow-fiber membranes and associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016136587-A1
Application number	US-201414547306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hollow-fiber membrane is presented. The hollow fiber membrane, includes a copolymer including sulfone structural units having a formula (I) and zwitterion-functionalized structural units having a formula (II). Method of making the hollow-fiber membrane is also presented.

First claim

1 . A hollow-fiber membrane, comprising:
a copolymer comprising sulfone structural units having a formula (I) and zwitterion-functionalized structural units having a formula (II):

wherein “a” and “b” are independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
“n” and “p” are independently 0 or 1;
“k” is in a range from 0 to 10;
R 1 and R 2 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical;
R 3 and R 5 are independently a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical;
R 4 is a bond, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical; and
wherein a mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is less than about 50 mole percent.

2 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 1 , wherein the mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is in a range from about 30 mole percent to about 50 mole percent.

3 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 1 , wherein the sulfone structural units have a formula (III):

wherein “a” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and
R 1 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical.

4 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 1 , wherein the zwitterion-functionalized structural structural units have a formula (IV):

wherein “b” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
“k” is a number in a range from 0 to 10;
“m” is a number in a range from 1 to 10;and
R 2 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical.

5 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer further comprises structural units having a formula (V):

wherein “c” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
R 6 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical; and
R 7 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical.

6 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight of the copolymer is in a range from about 10000 g/mol to about 75000 g/mol.

7 . A hollow-fiber module comprising a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes of claim 1 .

8 . A hemodialysis or hemofiltration apparatus comprising the hollow-fiber module of claim 7 .

9 . A hollow-fiber membrane, comprising a copolymer comprising sulfone structural units having a formula (III) and zwitterion-functionalized structural units having a formula (IV):

wherein “a” and “b” are independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
“k” is a number in a range from 0 to 10;
“m” is a number in a range from 1 to 10;
R 1 and R 2 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical; and
wherein a mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is less than about 50 mole percent.

10 . The hollow-fiber membrane of claim 9 , wherein the mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is in a range from about 30 mole percent to about 50 mole percent.

11 . A hemodialysis or hemofiltration apparatus comprising a hollow-fiber module comprising a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes of claim 9 .

12 . A method of forming a hollow-fiber membrane, comprising:
(A) providing a casting solution comprising a copolymer and a solvent, wherein the copolymer comprises sulfone structural units having a formula (I) and zwitterion-functionalized structural units having a formula (II):

wherein “a” and “b” are independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
“n” and “p” are independently 0 or 1;
“k” is in a range from 0 to 10;
R 1 and R 2 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical;
R 3 and R 5 are independently a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical;
R 4 is a bond, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical; and
wherein a mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is less than about 50 mole percent; and
(B) extruding the casting solution through an annular channel to form the hollow-fiber membrane.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the mole fraction of the zwitterion-functionalized structural units in the copolymer is in a range from about 30 mole percent to about 50 mole percent.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sulfone structural units have a formula (III):

wherein “a” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and
R 1 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the zwitterion-functionalized structural structural units have a formula (IV):

wherein “b” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
“k” is a number in a range from 0 to 10;
“m” is a number in a range from 1 to 10; and
R 2 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the copolymer further comprises structural units having a formula (V):

wherein “c” is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
R 6 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a C 1 -C 12 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 12 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 12 aromatic radical; and

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mccloskey Patrick Joseph
• Olsen Cathryn Ellen
• Zhou Hongyi
• Carr Louisa Ruth
• Misner Matthew Jeremiah

Classifications

• B01D71/68 Primary

  Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones · CPC title

• B01D71/82

  characterised by the presence of specified groups, e.g. introduced by chemical after-treatment · CPC title

• B01D2325/18

  Membrane materials having mixed charged functional groups · CPC title

• B01D67/0002

  Organic membrane manufacture · CPC title

• A61M1/16

  with membranes · CPC title