Modification of regenerated cellulose membrane by impregnation of silver nanocrystal clusters

Regenerated cellulose forms a very important class of basic material with diverse applications because of its hydrophilicity and insolubility in water. Thus, one of the applications of regenerated cellulose is used to fabricate membranes. However, short operational lifetime is one of the disadvantages of the regenerated cellulose. In this research, surface modification of the cellophane membrane was carried out by silver nanoclusters. Silver colloids were formed in situ by chemical and photochemical reduction, and then, silver particles were deposited uniformly onto the surface of the cellophane membrane. The maximum amount of silver deposition was found to be 2.55% by weight in this modification. The modified and unmodified membranes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to indicate silver nanocrystalline cluster particles on the modified membrane. SEM images indicate well-dispersed silver particles with an average size of 0.65 μm on the membrane. XRD patterns showed that the size of the silver crystals was 3.9 nm. The surface properties of modified and unmodified membranes were studied by the contact angle. Water absorption, oxidative resistance, salt permeability, and thermal stability were investigated. This study revealed that the modified membrane is more resistant against the oxidative cleavage than the unmodified one moreover, the salt permeability increased after the treatment. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48292.