Effects of polyethyleneimine molecular weight and proportion on the membrane hydrophilization by codepositing with dopamine

Mussel‐inspired chemistry has attracted widespread interest in the surface modification of polymer membranes. We have previously demonstrated a dopamine (DA) assisted codeposition process of polyethyleneimine onto polypropylene microfiltration membranes (PPMMs) for surface hydrophilization. In this work, we further investigate the effects of PEI molecular weight and DA/PEI mass ratio on the codeposition process and membrane performance. The results indicate that only low‐molecular‐weight PEI bring a distinct promotion in both surface wettability and water permeation flux for PPMMs. On the other hand, either excess DA or PEI is detrimental to the surface hydrophilicity of the studied membranes. The optimized PEI molecular weight is 600 Da and the corresponding mass ratio is 1:1 for the surface hydrophilization of PPMMs. These results are beneficial to understand those codeposition processes of dopamine with other polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43792.