Preparation of <scp>PF</scp> ‐ <scp>eAC</scp> / <scp>PVDF</scp> Membrane With Hydrophilic and Antibacterial Characteristics Derived From Paulownia Flower

ABSTRACT Paulownia flowers have a huge resource reserve and contain components with antibacterial and hydrophilic properties, but are often regarded as waste. This study prepared Paulownia flowers into a dual‐functional modified material with hydrophilic and antibacterial properties (PF‐eAC) and blended it into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultra‐filtration membranes (UF) using a phase inversion method. The chemical composition and morphological characteristics of the membrane were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water contact angle of the membrane decreased from 84.0° to 56.2°, the porosity fluctuated between 66.7% and 88.5%, and the mechanical strength increased from 19.23 to 24.91 MPa, all exhibiting uniform fluctuations. Terminal filtration tests and anti‐fouling analyses revealed that the membrane's water flux showed an upward trend (from 229.77 to 509.62 L m −2 h −1 ), while maintaining a stable retention rate of over 95% for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and successfully increasing the flux recovery rate from 55% to 80%. Additionally, the PF‐eAC/PVDF membrane exhibited significant inhibitory effects on both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. The optimal performance was achieved when the addition of PF‐eAC modified material was 0.4% (M4) (water flux of 509.62 L m −2 h −1 , retention rate of 98%, FRR of 60%). In conclusion, this study successfully developed a low‐cost, environmentally friendly UF membrane with dual hydrophilic and antibacterial functions, opening up application prospects for Paulownia flowers in the membrane industry.