Novel amphiphilic PEO-grafted cardo poly(aryl ether sulfone) copolymer: Synthesis, characterization and antifouling performance
Shuhua Hou, Jifu Zheng, Suobo Zhang*, Shenghai Li**

Polymer 77 (2015) 48-54.

A series of comb-like amphiphilic copolymers (PES-g-PEO) were synthesized through grafting poly(-ethylene oxide) (PEO) to cardo poly(aryl ether sulfone) (PES-NH) backbone. By controlling the ratios of PEO and cardo poly(aryl ether sulfone), amphiphilic copolymers with a range of PEO side chain were obtained and were employed to ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The PES-g-PEO-XX materials showed high thermal stability (Td >238 ^oC) and good mechanical properties especially elongation at break reached to 150% compared to 23% of PES-NH. The contact angle of PES-g-PEO-80 asymmetric membrane was decreased to a slow as 59

which was 30
 lower than the value of PES-NH membrane (90), indicating that PES-g-PEO-80 membrane exhibited remarkable hydrophilic property. No protein adsorption was found on the surface of PES-g-PEO-60 and PES-g-PEO-80 membranes, showing excellent antifouling
properties compared to PES-NH. The results of this work suggest that PES-g-PEO copolymers are promising materials for the fabrication of fouling resistant membranes.