Synthesis and characterization of PSF-g-Sucralose-g-PANI/Fe2O3 nanocomposite membrane: Water filtration and nano dispersion study

In the present study, two distinct chemical approaches were employed for the structural process: graft functionalization and solution polymerization. For grafting sucralose onto polysulfone (PSF) backbone, a Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction was utilized, while the solution polymerization of aniline was carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere with vigorous stirring. The chemical grafting of sucralose onto PSF backbone was performed using three different sucralose concentrations. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the resulting products. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of N–H stretching at 3545 cm⁻¹. Nano-dispersion analysis indicated that increasing the sucralose weight percentage led to enhanced the formation of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, without any chemical interaction with the PSF backbone. Following aniline polymerization, the Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles interacted with PANI through its imino nitrogen sites. HRTEM images confirmed the agglomerated nature of the Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. Structural modification resulted in improved hydrophilicity, antimicrobial activity, and pure water flux values.