Modification of AgNP-Decorated PET: A Promising Strategy for Preparation of AgNP-Filled Nuclear Pores in Polymer Membranes

Polymer-based membranes represent an irreplaceable group of materials that can be applied in a wide range of key industrial areas, from packaging to high-end technologies. Increased selectivity to transport properties or the possibility of controlling membrane permeability by external stimuli represents a key issue in current material research. In this work, we present an unconventional approach with the introduction of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into membrane pores, by immobilising them onto the surface of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) foil with subsequent physical modification by means of laser and plasma radiation prior to membrane preparation. Our results showed that the surface characteristics of AgNP-decorated PET (surface morphology, AgNP content, and depth profile) affected the distribution and concentration of AgNPs in subsequent ion-track membranes. We believe that the presented approach affecting the redistribution of AgNPs in the polymer volume may open up new possibilities for the preparation of metal nanoparticle-filled polymeric membranes. The presence of AgNPs on the pore walls can facilitate the grafting of stimuli-responsive molecules onto these active sites and may contribute to the development of intelligent membranes with controllable transport properties.