Physico-Chemical Characterizations of Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/Cu-3(BTC)(2) Composite Membranes Prepared by In Situ Crystal Growth

In this work, we present a simple and fast method for elaborating hybrid membranes by growing metal-organic framework crystals inside a polymer solution. The solution thus obtained was casted then annealed at 90 degrees C for 5 h. This method was tested with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as a piezoelectric polymer and the Cu-3(BTC)(2), BTC = 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate, as a filler. The characterization of the obtained membranes by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed the presence of the characteristic signatures of Cu-3(BTC)(2) and the beta-phase of PVDF. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the Cu-3(BTC)(2) crystallites have grown along the PVDF membranes. The effect of the filler on both thermal and mechanical properties of the membranes was also studied. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2019. (c) 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers