Fabrication of Zein Nanoparticle-Functionalized Wheat Gluten Amyloid Fibril/Methyl Cellulose Hybrid Membranes with Efficient Performance for Water-in-Oil Emulsion Separation
Journal
Polymers
Journal Volume
17
Journal Issue
17
Start Page
2409
ISSN
20734360
Date Issued
2025-09
Author(s)
Abstract
Considering the high stability of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, contamination from emulsified pollutants poses a long-term risk to the environment. In this study, hybrid membranes composed of wheat gluten amyloid fibrils (WGAFs) and zein nanoparticles (ZNPs) were prepared and used as a separator to remove emulsified W/O droplets from the oily phase. ZNPs and WGAFs were synthesized through antisolvent method and fibrillation process. Next, a ZNP-functionalized wheat gluten AF/methyl cellulose (ZNP-WGAF/MC) hybrid membrane was fabricated, and its properties were investigated via various analytical techniques. Lastly, the separation efficiency of the ZNP-WGAF/MC hybrid membrane for various W/O emulsions was assessed using microscopy and light scattering. The formation of ZNPs or WGAFs was first verified via spectroscopic and microscopic methods. Our results indicated that the ZNP-WGAF/MC hybrid membranes were synthesized via chemical crosslinking coupled with the casting method. Furthermore, the incorporation of either WGAFs or ZNPs was found to improve the thermal stability and surface hydrophobicity of membranes. Finally, the separation efficiency of the ZNP-WGAF/MC hybrid membranes for various W/O emulsions was determined to be ~87–99%. This research demonstrates the potential of harnessing three-dimensional membranes composed of plant protein-based fibrils and nanoparticles to separate emulsified W/O mixtures.
Subjects
amyloid fibril
emulsion separation
nanoparticle
three-dimensional membrane
wheat gluten
zein
SDGs
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Type
journal article