Eti, MineCihanoğlu, AydınHamaloğlu, Kadriye ÖzlemAltıok, EsraGüler, EnverTuncel, AliKabay, Nalan2024-03-112024-03-112024-03-01http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14411/20032168-0485https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c06320Open Access; Published by ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering; https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c06320; Mine Eti, Aydın Cihanoğlu, Esra Altıok, Nalan Kabay, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ege University, İzmir, 35100, Türkiye; Kadriye Özlem Hamaloğlu, Ali Tuncel, Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06800, Türkiye; Enver Güler, Department of Chemical Engineering, Atılım University, Ankara, 06830, Türkiye.Biofouling, stemming from the attachment of living microorganisms, such as bacteria, which form resilient biofilms on membrane surfaces, presents a significant challenge that hampers the efficiency of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in reverse electrodialysis (RED) applications. This limitation curtails the generation of electrical power from salinity gradients, which, notably, is a sustainable form of energy known as osmotic energy. Reverse electrodialysis (RED) stands as a clean and promising process to harness this sustainable energy source. This study aimed to impart antibacterial activity to the synthesized AEMs using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). For that purpose, AgNPs were synthesized at 30oC using two different pH (6.0 and pH 9.0) and immobilized into synthesized AEMs using the dip-coating technique. In nanoparticle synthesis, ascorbic acid (AA) and trisodium citrate (TSC) were used as a reductant and a stabilizer, respectively, to take under control of particle size and agglomeration behavior. The results indicated that AgNPs synthesized at pH 6.0 were dispersed on the AEMs surface without agglomeration. The stability of AgNPs immobilized on the membrane surface was tested under low and high-saline solutions. The antibacterial activities of AEMs were determined with the colony-counting method using Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria suspension. The viability of bacteria dramatically decreased after the immobilization of AgNPs to the AEMs. In the short and long-term RED tests, it has been observed that the AEMs having AgNPs have high energy-generating potentials, and power density up to 0.372 W/m2 can be obtained.enBiofouling, Anion exchange membranes, Reverse electrodialysis, Silver nanoparticles, Antibacterial activityArticle