ESR and vibrational spectroscopy study on poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes with alkaline treatment

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes treated with alkaline solutions were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR), FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopy. Alkaline treated samples produced free radicals, the concentrations of which were calculated. The vibrational spectroscopy showed the existence of conjugated carbon double bonds in the treated membranes. The degradation mechanism was discussed. And the effect of the alkaline concentration and treating time on the structure modification were also investigated.