Hydrophilic membranes and method of preparation thereof (IV)

1. A porous membrane comprising a block copolymer of the formula: A-B-A (I) or A-B (II), wherein block A is:

(ii) a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, wherein one or more of the allyl groups of the copolymer have been replaced with a group of the formula: —(CH 2 ) a —S—(CH 2 ) b —X, wherein a is 3 and b is 1 to 3, and X is selected from an acidic group, a basic group, a cation, an anion, a zwitterion, halo, hydroxyl, acyl, acyloxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aldehydo, amido, carbamoyl, ureido, cyano, nitro, epoxy, a group of the formula —C(H)(COOH)(NH 2 ), and a group of the formula —C(H)(COOH)(NHAc), or a salt thereof; and

block B is an aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment.

2. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is (ii) a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, wherein one or more of the allyl groups of the copolymer have been replaced with a group of the formula: —(CH 2 ) a —S—(CH 2 ) b —X, wherein a is 3 and b is 1 to 3, and X is selected from an acidic group, a basic group, a cation, an anion, a zwitterion, hydroxyl, or a salt thereof.

3. The block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein, as X, the acidic group is sulfonic acid or carboxylic acid, the basic group is an amino group, an alkylamino group, or a dialkylamino group, the cation is a quaternary ammonium group, and the zwitterion is a quaternary ammonium alkyl sulfonate group of the formula —N + (R 1 R 2 )(CH 2 ) c SO 3 − , wherein R 1 and R 2 are alkyl groups and c is 1 to 3.

4. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment is selected from polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone), polyether ketone, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone ketone, polyimide, polyetherimide, and polyamide-imide.

5. The porous membrane of claim 4 , wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment comprises polyethersulfone.

6. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is a branched copolymer.

7. The porous membrane of claim 1 , which has the following structure:

wherein R is allyl or —(CH 2 ) b —X wherein b is 1 to 3 and n is about 10 to about 1000.

8. The porous membrane of claim 7 , wherein R is —(CH 2 ) b —X.

9. The porous membrane of claim 7 , wherein X is selected from amino, dimethylamino, —CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 H, —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 H, —CH 2 CO 2 H, and —CH 2 CH 2 N + (CH 3 ) 3 , and combinations thereof.

10. The porous membrane of claim 1 , wherein block A is present in an amount of about 20% to about 50 mol % and block B is present in an amount of about 50% to about 80 mol %.

11. The porous membrane of claim 1 , which has one of the following structures:

wherein n is about 10 to about 1000.

12. A method of preparing a porous membrane according to claim 1 , comprising:

(i) providing a polymer solution comprising a solvent, said aromatic hydrophobic polymer, and said block copolymer;

(ii) casting the polymer solution as a thin film;

(iii) subjecting the thin film to phase inversion to obtain a porous membrane; and optionally

(iv) washing the porous membrane.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the polymer solution contains N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, or a mixture thereof, as the solvent.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the polymer solution further contains a nonsolvent and/or a pore former.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the nonsolvent is water.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pore former is polyethylene glycol, glycerin, or a mixture thereof.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein said aromatic hydrophobic polymer and the copolymer are present in a mass ratio of from about 20% to about 80% to about 80% to about 20%.