Graphene oxide anti-microbial element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019194474-A1
Application number	US-201716331903-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein is a graphene material and polymer-based anti-microbial element that provides anti-microbial capabilities. Described is an element that can also comprise a support. Also described is an element where the support can be the article to be protected from microbial buildup. Also described are methods for preventing microbial fouling by applying the aforementioned anti-microbial elements and related devices.

First claim

1 . An anti-microbial membrane comprising:
a support; and a composite comprising a graphene oxide compound and a crosslinker, wherein the composite coats the support; wherein the membrane precludes the growth of microbes as determined by having an antibacterial effectiveness of 2 or more; and wherein the crosslinker comprises at polyvinyl alcohol, a biopolymer, an acrylamide co-polymer, or any combination thereof.

2 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the biopolymer comprises lignosulfonates, and the acrylamide co-polymer comprises poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).

3 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the acrylamide co-polymer comprises poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N, N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide).

4 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises potassium tetraborate, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, or any combination thereof.

5 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises a spacer material.

6 . The membrane of claim 5 , wherein the spacer material comprises nanoparticles of silica, Fe 3 O 4 , TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , or Al 2 O 3 .

7 . The membrane of claim 5 , wherein the spacer material has a particle size ranging from about 5 nm to about 300 nm.

8 . (canceled)

9 . The membrane of claim 5 , wherein the spacer material has a weight percentage of about 5% to about 7% relative to the composite coating.

10 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the mass ratio of the graphene oxide to the crosslinker in the composite is a value ranging from about 0.03 to about 90.

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the composite coating on the support has a thickness of about 40 nm to about 2 μm.

14 . (canceled)

15 . (canceled)

16 . (canceled)

17 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is prepared by applying the composite to the support and exposing the resulting membrane to a temperature of about 70° C. to about 150° C. for a period of about 3 minutes to about 120 minutes.

18 . The membrane of claim 1 , where the support is an article to be protected from microbial growth.

19 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker is polyvinyl alcohol and the composite has a thickness of about 50 nm to about 3 μm.

20 . The membrane of claim 19 , wherein the composite further comprises potassium tetraborate and the composite has a thickness of about 50 nm to about 150 nm.

21 . The membrane of claim 20 , wherein the composite further comprises 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, the content of graphene oxide relative to the total composite is about 60 wt % to about 80 wt %, and the composite has a thickness of about 50 nm to about 150 nm.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker comprises a biopolymer and the composite has a thickness of about 100 nm to about 2 μm.

24 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker comprises a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and the composite has a thickness of about 100 nm to about 2 μm.

25 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises silica nanoparticles.

26 . The membrane of claim 25 , wherein the silica nanoparticles have a size of about 2 nm to about 20 nm, about 50 nm to about 100 nm, or about 150 nm to about 300 nm.

27 . (canceled)

28 . A method of preventing microbial growth, the method comprising:
providing the membrane of claim 1 ; and exposing the membrane to a working fluid containing microbes; wherein the membrane precludes microbial growth as a result of exposure to the working fluid as determined by having an antibacterial effectiveness of 2 or more.

Assignees

• Nitto Denko Corp

Inventors

• Zheng Shijun
• Hseih Wanyun
• Kitahara Isamu
• Ericson John
• Kobuke Makoto
• Wang Peng

Classifications

• C08J7/0427

  with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder (with more layers C08J7/042) · CPC title

• B01D69/148

  Organic/inorganic mixed matrix membranes · CPC title

• B01D67/0006

  by chemical reactions (in-situ polymerisation, polycondensation, cross-linking or reaction for manufacturing composite membranes B01D69/125) · CPC title

• B01D2325/04

  Characteristic thickness · CPC title

• B01D65/08

  Prevention of membrane fouling or of concentration polarisation · CPC title