In vitro silver ion release kinetics from nanosilver/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels synthesized by gamma irradiation

A nanosilver (nano‐Ag)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel device was synthesized with γ irradiation because it is a highly suitable tool for enhanced nano‐Ag technologies and biocompatible controlled release formulations. The amount of the Ag⁺ ions released in vitro by the nano‐Ag/PVA hydrogel device was in the antimicrobial parts per million concentration range. The modeling of the Ag⁺ ion release kinetics with the elements of the drug‐delivery paradigm revealed the best fit solution (R² > 0.99) for the Kopcha and Makoid–Banakar's pharmacokinetic dissolution models. The term A/B, derived from the Kopcha model, indicated that the nano‐Ag/PVA hydrogel was mainly an Ag⁺‐ion diffusion‐controlled device. Makoid–Banakar's parameter and the short time approximated Ag⁺‐ion diffusion constant reflected the importance of the size of the Ag nanoparticles. However, it appeared that the cell oxidation potential of the Ag nanoparticles depended on the diffusion characteristics of the fluid penetrating into the Ag/PVA nanosystem. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40321.     

Physicochemical investigation of radiation‐grafted poly(acrylic acid)‐graft‐poly(tetrafluoroethylene–ethylene) copolymer membranes and their use in metal recovery from aqueous solution

ET‐g‐PAAc membranes were obtained by radiation grafting of acrylic acid onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene–ethylene) copolymer films using a mutual technique. The ion selectivity of the grafted membranes was determined toward K⁺, Ag⁺, Hg²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺ in a mixed aqueous solution. The ion‐exchange capacity of the grafted membranes was measured by back titration and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The Hg²⁺ ion content of the membrane was more than that of either the K⁺ or Ag⁺ ions. The presence of metal ions in the membranes was studied by infrared and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy measurements. Scanning electron microscopy of the grafted and metal‐treated grafted membranes showed modification of the morphology of the surface due to the adsorption of K⁺ and Ag⁺ ions. No change was observed for the surface of the membrane that was treated with Hg²⁺ ions. The thermal stability of different membranes was improved more with Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ ions than with K⁺ ions. It was found that the modified grafted membranes possessed good hydrophilicity, which may make them promising candidates for practical applications, such as for cation‐exchange membranes in the recovery of metals from an aqueous solution. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 2692–2698, 2002     

Water‐compatible imprinted polymers based on CS@SiO2 particles for selective recognition of naringin

Molecularly imprinted polymers are being proposed for the development of novel biorecognition elements for active components. In this study, an imprinted chitosan coated silica nanoparticles (I‐CS@SiO₂) polymer was prepared by a simple procedure, in which, naringin (NG) with antioxidant activity, acted as a template, silica as a matrix and CS as a functional polymer. The binding properties were discussed by the equilibrium binding experiment method. Experiments show that the adsorption characteristics of I‐CS@SiO₂ are better than that of nonimprinted polymer. It exhibited high selectivity for NG when compared with the nonimprinted polymer, with an imprinting factor α of 1.74. Scatchard analysis of the I‐CS@SiO₂ indicated that there was a class of binding sites during the I‐CS@SiO₂ recognizing NG: The dissociation constant of K_D is 0.016 mmol L^?1, the maximum apparent binding capacity of B_max is 6.56 μmol g^?1. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40491.     

Fabrication of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/amine modified carbon nanotube composite films for rapid chromate removal

Composite adsorbent films with amine and hydroxyl functionalities were synthesized from chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and amine-modified carbon nanotubes (a-MWCNT) by solvent casting method. Weight proportions of CS to PVA and weight percent of a-MWCNT were optimized to achieve highest chromate removal capacity. Structural characteristics of the composites were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Accordingly, incorporation of a-MWCNT to CS/PVA structure resulted in the generation of nanochannels, which enhanced adsorption capacity. Moreover, the composite comprising 0.4% wt. a-MWCNT provided over 99% of Cr (VI) removal from 50 mg L⁻¹ Cr (VI) solution within five minutes of contact time. Redlich–Peterson and Radke–Prausnitz isotherm models provided the highest conformity to adsorption data. Maximum chromate sorption capacity of CS/PVA/a-MWCNT composite film was determined as 134.2 mg g⁻¹ being 172% higher than that of CS/PVA. Regeneration was best achieved in 1.0 M NaOH and the composite was shown to retain at least 70% of its original capacity after five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles.     

Pervaporation separation of water–ethanol mixtures using metal‐ion‐exchanged poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) membranes

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/sulfosuccinic acid (PVA/SSA) membranes in the hydrogen form were converted to monovalent metal ion forms Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺. The effect of exchange with metal ions was investigated by measuring the swelling of water–ethanol (10/90) mixtures at 30 °C and by the pervaporative dehydration performance test for aqueous ethanol solutions with various ethanol concentrations at 30, 40, and 50 °C. In addition, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) analysis was carried out to study the quantity of metal ions in membranes. From the ESCA analysis, the lithium ion quantity in the resulting membranes is greater than that of any other metal ions in question because of the easy diffusion of a smaller metal ion into the membrane matrix. The swelling ratio was in the following order: PVA/SSA‐Li⁺ > PVA/SSA‐Na⁺ > PVA/SSA‐K⁺ membranes. For pervaporation, the PVA/SSA‐Na⁺ membrane showed the lowest flux and highest separation factor for all aqueous ethanol solutions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1867–1873, 2002     

Novel self‐supported natural and synthetic polymer membranes for air humidification

Novel self‐supported natural and synthetic polymer membranes of chitosan‐hydroxy ethyl cellulose‐montmorillonite (CS‐HEC‐MMT) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) are prepared by solution casting method followed by crosslinking. These membranes are employed for air humidification at varying temperatures between 30°C and 70°C and their performances are compared with commercial Nafion^® membranes. High water fluxes with desired humidified‐air output have been achieved for CS‐HEC‐MMT and PVA‐PSSA hybrid membranes at air‐flow rates of 1–10 slpm. Variation in the air/water mixing ratio, dew point, and relative humidity that ultimately results in desired water flux with respect to air‐flow rates are also quantified for all the membranes. Water flux values for CS‐HEC‐MMT are less than those for Nafion^® and PVA‐PSSA membranes, but the operational stability of CS‐HEC‐MMT membrane is higher than PVA‐PSSA and comparable with Nafion^® both of which can operate up to 70°C at repetitive cycles of humidification. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Molecularly imprinted fluorescent polymers as chemosensors for the detection of mercury ions in aqueous media

This article describes the investigation of molecularly imprinted fluorescent polymer membranes as sensing receptors for Hg²⁺ detection by an optical approach. The polymers were synthesized with 4‐vinylpyridine as a functional monomer and Hg²⁺ as a template; 9‐vinylcarbazole was used as both a complex‐forming agent and a fluorescence probe. The free‐radical polymerization was performed within a semicylindrical Teflon mold and was initiated by 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile at 60°C. The template, ion‐bonded to pyridine and carbazole groups in the polymer membrane, was removed by acid treatment. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements and scanning electron microscopy images were used to compare the chemistry and surface morphology, respectively, of both imprinted and nonimprinted polymer materials. The final polymer membranes with semicylindrical shapes were used directly to determine Hg²⁺ concentration in aqueous solutions by the monitoring of the fluorescence intensity of the carbazole groups quenched upon complex formation with metal ions. The values of the Hg²⁺ binding ratio for the imprinted and nonimprinted polymeric membranes were compared, and the results indicate the superior sensitivity and selectivity of the imprinted membranes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Radiation Preparation of Conducting Nanocomposite Membrane Based on (Copper/Polyacrylic Acid/Poly Vinyl Alcohol) for Rapid Colorimetric Sensor of Mercury and Silver Ions

In this study, poly acrylic acid/poly vinyl alcohol capped copper as nanocomposite membrane Cu–(PAAc/PVA) has been prepared using gamma radiation. Aqueous solution of 0.2 mol Cu²⁺ ions chemically reduction using ascorbic acid and PAAc/PVA as stabilizer. Cu²⁺ ions could be deposited uniformly on the matrix network of PAAc/PVA membrane. The resulting Cu–(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposites membrane exhibited rapid colorimetric detection of mercury and silver ions associated with notable color changes of the membrane from yellow to pale gray and dark green, respectively. A novel label colorimetric sensor membrane Cu–(PAAc/PVA) has been developed for sensitive detection of Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ ions basis of the UV spectrophotometer data. A detection limit as low as 10^?5 and 10^?6 M of Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions was achieved. This article proved that the Cu–(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposites membrane is exhibited excellent selectivity toward Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ ions. The advantages to the determination of Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ ions using Cu(PAAc/PVA) nanocomposite membrane is simple, low cost, rapid and easy observation by naked eye, the developed Cu–(PAAc/PVA) colorimetric membrane candidate for the detection of toxic Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ ions in environmental and biological samples. The particles size of synthesized Cu was performed using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that Cu nanoparticles of size 8 nm are formed by green method. Absorption spectra of Cu nanoparticles deposited in PAAc/PVA at 591 nm confirm the capped of Cu nanoparticles inside PAAc/PVA matrices. The synthesized Cu nanocomposite has been found to be more AC conducting at low frequency than Hg and Ag nanoparticles. The increasing increase in conductivity of membrane can be correlated due to the formation of localized electronic states in polymer matrix due to insertion of Cu nanoparticles.     

Preparation of graphene oxide/carboxymethyl chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol composite nanofiber membranes by electrospinning for heavy metal adsorption

In this paper, a graphene-oxide/carboxymethyl-chitosan/polyvinyl-alcohol (GO/CMC/PVA) composite nanofiber membrane was prepared by electrospinning and cross-linking with glutaraldehyde (GA) to improve the water resistance. The composite nanofiber membrane can be used in the field of heavy metal adsorption. The membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The effects of GO concentration, adsorption time, and initial concentration of heavy-metal ion (Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, and Pb²⁺) solution on the adsorption performance of the fiber membranes were investigated. The results showed that the addition of GO can reduce the diameter of nanofibers. GO, CMC, and PVA exhibited good compatibility, and the intermolecular hydrogen bonding improved. The addition of GO also improved the crystalline properties of the composite fiber membrane. In the optimal cross-linking condition, GA was saturated by steam cross-linking for 6 h. The introduction of GO improved the adsorption capacity of the membrane for heavy metals in water. The utmost adsorption capacities for Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, and Pb²⁺ were 262.1, 237.9, 319.3, and 413.6 mg/g when using the cross-linked composite fiber membranes, respectively. The results of adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics showed that the adsorption process accorded with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model.     

Ag+ ions imprinted cryogels for selective removal of silver ions from aqueous solutions

ABSTRACT

The removal of heavy metal ions from aquatic media or any conditions is crucial. Silver ions turn out to be the important example of this problem on earth when these are released to the environment. In the present study, silver ions (Ag⁺) imprinted poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA)-based cryogels were prepared using N-methacryloyl-L-cysteine as functional monomer, to be chelated with Ag⁺ ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of Ag⁺-imprinted polymeric cryogel was found to be 49.27 mg/g from aqueous solutions. To investigate the affinity of Ag⁺-imprinted PHEMAC cryogel column, photographic film material from the natural silver ion source was used. The recovery results were 72.8% for the Ag⁺-imprinted PHEMAC cryogel and 0.62% for the non-imprinted PHEMAC cryogels. These values clearly showed the selectivity of the Ag⁺-imprinted PHEMAC cryogel column. The adsorption–desorption cycle was performed more 10 times with use of the same Ag⁺-imprinted PHEMAC cryogel for the determination of reuse. These molecularly imprinted cryogels were used in adsorption process for a long time with no significant loss.     

Adsorption of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Ag(I) in aqueous solution on hollow chitosan microspheres

Cross‐linked chitosans synthesized by the inverse emulsion cross‐link method were used to investigate adsorption of three metal ions [Cd(II), Pb(II), and Ag(I)] in an aqueous solution. The chitosan microsphere, was characterized by FTIR and SEM, and adsorption of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Ag(I) ions onto a cross‐linked chitosan was examined through analysis of pH, agitation time, temperature, and initial concentration of the metal. The order of adsorption capacity for the three metal ions was Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Ag⁺. This method showed that adsorption of the three metal ions in an aqueous solution followed the monolayer coverage of the adsorbents through physical adsorption phenomena and coordination because the amino (? NH₂) and/or hydroxy (? OH) groups on chitosan chains serve as coordination sites. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Double‐functional characteristics of a surface molecular imprinted adsorbent with immobilization of nano‐TiO2

A new chitosan molecular imprinted adsorbent obtained by immobilization of nano‐TiO₂ on the adsorbent surface (surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO₂) was prepared. Based on photocatalytic reaction and the surface molecular imprinting technology, this new kind of surface‐imprinted adsorbent with immobilization of nano‐TiO₂ can not only adsorb template metal ions but can also degrade organic pollutants. The results showed that, after the nano‐TiO₂ was immobilized on the adsorbent surface, the adsorption ability for the imprinted ion (Ni²⁺) of this new imprinted adsorbent immobilized with nano‐TiO₂ was not affected, but the degradation ability for p‐nitrophenol (PNP) of the surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO₂ increased three‐fold compared with that of the surface‐imprinted adsorbent without nano‐TiO₂, from 23.8 to 76.1% (at an initial PNP concentration of 20 mg·dm^?3). The optimal TiO₂ concentration in the adsorbent preparation was 0.025 g·TiO₂ g^?1 adsorbent. The removal capacity for PNP reached 60.25 mg·g^?1 (at 400 mg·dm^?3 initial PNP concentration) under UV irradiation. The surface‐imprinted adsorbent with nano‐TiO₂ can be reused for at least five cycles without decreasing the removal ability for PNP and the imprinted ion (Ni²⁺). Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized by bioaffinity adsorption coupled with TiO2 photocatalysis

BACKGROUND: On the basis of effective bioaffinity adsorption of Ag⁺, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized on the surface of chitosan‐TiO₂ adsorbent (CTA) by TiO₂ photocatalysis for crystal growth. RESULTS: Among the microstructure characterizations of the resulting silver nanoparticles‐ loaded chitosan‐TiO₂ adsorbent (Ag‐CTA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) revealed the formation of metallic Ag on the CTA, which was further confirmed by the surface plasmon resonance of Ag NPs in the UV‐visible absorption spectrum. The underlying mechanism behind the formation of Ag NPs on the CTA by TiO₂ photoreduction was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The distinctive feature of Ag‐CTA after adsorption was the highly efficient antimicrobial activity in inactivating different test strains. In the case of Escherichia coli, 1.50 mg 1.67 wt% Ag‐CTA could totally inhibit 1.0–1.2 × 10⁷ colony forming units (CFU) in 100 mL nutrient medium, which was superior to that previously reported. CONCLUSIONS: CTA effectively adsorbed the precious metal ion Ag⁺ onto active imprinting sites on the adsorbent and then exerted efficient antimicrobial effects against diverse microbes. This research will be useful for designing a novel CTA‐based wastewater treatment for multi‐functional performance. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of chitosan tripolyphosphate gel beads as bioadsorbents for iron in aqueous solution and in human blood in vitro

Nonimprinted and Fe³⁺ imprinted chitosan tripolyphosphate gel beads were prepared via physical gel formation. A method based on in situ crosslinking using ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether was developed to imprint the chitosan tripolyphosphate gels with Fe³⁺ ion without deteriorating the gel beads. The beads were characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, and DSC with respect to the chemical structure, surface morphology, crystallinity, and thermal behavior. Swelling kinetics and Fe³⁺ ion adsorption behavior from aqueous solution were studied. The Fe³⁺ imprinted and in situ crosslinked beads proved to be durable and effective adsorbents for Fe³⁺ in solution. The bead prepared by in situ crosslinking and in the presence of 10 mM template ion had an equilibrium iron adsorption capacity of 53.9 mg/g after 3-hour contact with 5 mM Fe³⁺ solution. The pros and cons of the beads as biomedical iron adsorbents were tested by evaluating their serum iron removal capacities from human blood. The preliminary tests carried out showed that Fe³⁺ imprinted beads were more effective in decreasing serum iron in human blood when compared to the nonimprinted beads. The decrease in serum iron level accompanied a parallel decrease in the hemoglobin level. The calcium level was also affected upon contact with the beads. The Fe³⁺ imprinted beads were less effective than the nonimprinted ones in decreasing the calcium level indicating selectivity towards iron containing species. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Electro-generation of 3-methyl-2-formylaminopyridine using a bipolar membrane as separator

A mSA–mCS bipolar membrane was prepared by sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol (SA/PVA) and chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) modified by Fe³⁺ and glutaraldehyde as linking reagents, respectively. The mSA–mCS bipolar membrane was investigated by FT-IR, SEM, I–V curves, ion exchange capacity and changes of pH in the anode and cathode chambers. The SA–CS/PVA bipolar membrane was used as a separator in the electrolysis cell to electrogenerate 3-methyl-2-formylaminopyridine. The product yield was 49.8% and higher than that produced in a Nafion mono-membrane-equipped cell. Compared with the traditional chemistry method, the electro-generating process is moderate and eliminates pollution to the environment.     

Ultrasmall Ag nanocrystals supported on chitosan/PVA nanofiber mats with bifunctional properties

Bifunctional nanofiber mats consisting of chitosan (CS), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and silver nanocrystals (Ag NCs) have been fabricated by a facile electrospinning method. The formation and presence of Ag NCs supported on CS/PVA nanofibers are confirmed by ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The morphology of the samples is characterized by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The prepared Ag NCs/CS/PVA nanofiber mats show pronounced antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and excellent filtration property for suspended particulate matter (SPM) particles. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46504.     

Metal ion permeation properties of silk fibroin/chitosan blend membranes

Silk fibroin/chitosan (SF/CS) blend membranes were prepared and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that SF and CS were compatible in the blend membranes and that the membranes were dense without microscopic phase separation. Swelling experiments showed that the swelling ratio of the blend membranes increased with CS content and reached the highest value when CS content was 70 wt%. Experiments indicated that the permeability coefficient of K⁺ through the blend membrane was 2–4 times higher than that of pure CS membrane, and 10 times higher than that of pure SF membrane. The permeation rate of K⁺ increased linearly with CS content in the blend membrane for the lower concentration feeding solution. For different metal ions, the permeability through SF/CS blend membranes was in the sequence K⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Ni²⁺. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Transport selectivity of tribenuron‐methyl imprinted polymer nanowire membrane prepared using N,O‐bismethacryloyl ethanolamine as a functional crosslinking monomer

Using tribenuron‐methyl as a template and N,O‐bismethacryloyl ethanolamine as a functional crosslinking monomer, a molecularly imprinted nanowire membrane was prepared over an anodic alumina oxide membrane. The nanowire fabric of the imprinted membrane was established with a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope. However, the nonimprinted particulate membrane is formed in the absence of a template. Scatchard analysis showed that an equal class of binding sites were formed in the imprinted nanowire membrane and the dissociation constant and the maximum number of these binding sites were estimated to be 1.44 × 10⁻⁵ M and 22.7 µmol/g, respectively. The permeation experiments throughout the imprinted membrane and the nonimprinted one were carried out in a solution containing the template and its competitive analogs. These results demonstrated that the molecularly imprinted nanowire membrane exhibited higher transport selectivity for the template tribenuron‐methyl than its analogs, chlorimuron‐ethyl, thifensulfuron‐methyl and N‐(4‐bromophenylcarbamoyl)‐5‐chloro‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole‐2‐carboxamide. But the nonimprinted granular membrane had no permselectivity for the four substrates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Development of new ionomer blend membranes,their characterization,and their application in the perstractive separation of alkenes from alkene–alkane mixtures. II. Electrical and facilitated transport properties

In this contribution, the synthesis and characterization of novel ion‐exchange blend membranes which contain the SO₃Ag group for the application in the perstractive separation of alkene–alkane mixtures, where the Ag⁺ ion serves as facilitated transport site for the alkene via formation of a pi complex with the alkene double bond, is presented. In this part of the article, the transport properties of the following blend membrane types are described: (1) acid–base blend membranes of ortho‐sulfone‐sulfonated polysulfone (PSU) with ortho‐sulfone‐diaminated PSU; (2) blend membranes of ortho‐sulfone‐sulfonated PSU with unmodified PSU; (3) blend membranes of ortho‐sulfone‐sulfonated PSU with ortho‐sulfone disilylated PSU. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 422–427, 1999     

Modified poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan blended membranes for isopropanol dehydration via pervaporation: Synthesis optimization and modeling by response surface methodology

Box–Behnken (BB) design of response surface methodology (RSM) was effectively applied to optimize fabrication conditions of modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) blended pervaporation (PV) membranes. The PVA/CS membranes were crosslinked either by chemical reaction with glutaraldehyde (GA) or by heat‐treating at different temperatures. The main objectives were to determine the optimal levels of fabricating parameters and also to investigate interactions among the variables. CS content in the blended membranes, concentration of crosslinking agent and heat‐treating temperature were the fabrication parameters, the main effects and interaction effects of which on membrane structure and PV performance toward isopropanol (IPA)/water dehydration were investigated, and for which regression models were established. The modified PVA/CS blended membranes were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as X‐ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the CS content is the most significant factor influencing flux and separation factor among the three studied variables and the experimental results are in excellent accordance with predicted values from the developed RSM regression models. The RSM results indicated that under preparation conditions of 80 wt % CS in the blended membrane, 0.58 wt % GA concentration, and 77 °C heat‐treating temperature, the maximum separation factor of 5222.8 and the normalized flux of 9.407 kg µm/m²h can be acquired with feed content of 85 wt % IPA at 25 °C, showing that the prepared membrane is highly efficient for PV dehydration of IPA. The models were satisfactorily validated against experimental data. Furthermore, the optimum membrane presents excellent separation performance at different feed compositions and temperatures. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44587.