BPA transfer rate increase using molecular imprinted polyethersulfone hollow fiber membrane

Bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membrane was spun using a dry-wet spinning method, the membrane was then prepared as a filter with an effective area of 200 cm(2). The hollow fiber filter was employed to study the BPA transport behavior. The transport ability of the prepared hollow fiber membrane was measured using 100 mu mol/l BPA aqueous solutions at a flow flux of 50 and 75 ml/min, respectively. The BPA transfer rate increased for the imprinted hollow fiber membranes due to the larger amount of binding sites, comparing with the non-imprinted one. In the present study, hollow fiber membrane and the molecular imprinting technique were combined for advanced separation and the data suggested that small molecules could transfer in the direction opposite to the concentration gradient due to different pH. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.