Fouling-resistant membranes prepared via fully biobased layer-by-layer self-assembly

A fully biobased layer-by-layer deposition method, containing kraft lignin and chitosan as the polyelectrolytes, was employed to improve the anti-fouling properties of polyethersulfone membrane. Results revealed that the water in air contact angle decreased from 70° ± 2° for the pristine membrane to 34° ± 1° for the modified double-bilayer membrane, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity. The synthesized film was ultrathin and caused a slight decrease in permeation flux of the modified membrane compared to the pristine membrane. Additionally, the deposited film showed excellent stability after 6 hours running water test using a dead-end filtration cell.