Biomimetic 3D Prototyping of Hierarchically Porous Multilayered Membranes for Enhanced Oil-Water Filtration

Abhishek Saji Kumar; Rayane Akoumeh; Arunachalam Ramanathan; JaeWoo Park; Varunkumar Thippanna; Dhanush Patil; Yuxiang Zhu; Dharneedar Ravichandran; Sri Vaishnavi Thummalapalli; M Taylor Sobczak; Lindsay Bick Chambers; Taylor G Theobald; Churan Yu; Chao Sui; Libin Yang; Deepalekshmi Ponnamma; Mohammad K Hassan; Maryam Al-Ejji; Sui Yang; Kenan Song

doi:10.1021/acsami.4c18528

Biomimetic 3D Prototyping of Hierarchically Porous Multilayered Membranes for Enhanced Oil-Water Filtration

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2025 Jan 23. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c18528. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Abhishek Saji Kumar¹, Rayane Akoumeh², Arunachalam Ramanathan³, JaeWoo Park¹, Varunkumar Thippanna³, Dhanush Patil³, Yuxiang Zhu⁴, Dharneedar Ravichandran⁵, Sri Vaishnavi Thummalapalli³, M Taylor Sobczak³, Lindsay Bick Chambers³, Taylor G Theobald³, Churan Yu³, Chao Sui³, Libin Yang³, Deepalekshmi Ponnamma², Mohammad K Hassan², Maryam Al-Ejji², Sui Yang^{1

6}, Kenan Song^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Materials Science and Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States.
² Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
³ Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, 302 E. Campus Rd, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States.
⁴ School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (MSN), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University (ASU), Mesa, Arizona 85212, United States.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
⁶ Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States.
⁷ Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia (UGA), 302 E. Campus Rd., Athens 30602, United States.
⁸ Adjunct professor at the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (MSN), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University (ASU), Mesa, Arizona 85212, United States.

PMID: 39846822
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c18528

Abstract

This study introduces a biomimetic approach to 3D printing multilayered hierarchical porous membranes (MHMs) using Direct Ink Writing (DIW) technology. Fabricated through a fast layer-by-layer printing process with varying concentrations of pore-forming agents, the produced MHMs mimic the hierarchical pore structure and filtration capabilities of natural soil systems. As a result, the 3D-printed MHMs achieved an impressive oil rejection rate of 99.02% and demonstrated exceptional reusability, maintaining a flux recovery ratio of 99.48% even after hours of continuous filtration. Moreover, the 3D-printed MHMs exhibit superior hierarchical porous architecture and mechanical integrity compared to traditional flat sheet single-layered membranes. This study presents a significant advancement for scalable 3D printing of customized multilayer membranes with tailored porosity and high-performance filtration properties. The simplicity, versatility, and cost-effectiveness of the presented manufacturing method offer a pathway for advanced design and on-demand membrane production.

Keywords: 3D printing; PVDF; additive manufacturing; antifouling; hierarchical structure; multilayer membrane; oil−water filtration; scalable.