Preparation and properties of surface-modified polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers

A controlled reaction on the surface of polyacrylonitrile hollow fibers was developed to change the CN unit to a CNH₂ unit. Ion-exchange measurements and IR spectra for the chemically modified fibers suggested the existence of NH₂ units on the surface of the modified fibers. The modified fibers had a smaller molecular weight cut-off than the unmodified fibers. Serum albumin was immobilized on the surface of the modified and unmodified fibers using the succinimide reaction. Ultrafiltration experiments for optical resolution of racemic amino acids were also performed using the immobilized albumin membranes. The immobilized albumin membranes prepared from chemically modified hollow fibers demonstrated efficient optical resolution of racemic phenylalanine.