Abstract
In the majority of photocatalytic applications, the photocatalyst is dispersed as a suspension of nanoparticles. The suspension provides a higher surface for the photocatalytic reaction in respect to immobilized photocatalysts. However, this implies that recovery of the particles by filtration or centrifugation is needed to collect and regenerate the photocatalyst. This complicates the regeneration process and, at the same time, leads to material loss and potential toxicity. In this work, a new nanofibrous membrane, g-C3N4/PMMA/PUR, was prepared by the fixation of exfoliated g-C3N4 to polyurethane nanofibers using thin layers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The optimal amount of PMMA was determined by measuring the adsorption and photocatalytic properties of g-C3N4/PMMA/PUR membranes (with a different PMMA content) in an aqueous solution of methylene blue. It was found that the prepared membranes were able to effectively adsorb and decompose methylene blue. On top of that, the membranes evinced a self-cleaning behavior, showing no coloration on their surfaces after contact with methylene blue, unlike in the case of unmodified fabric. After further treatment with H2O2, no decrease in photocatalytic activity was observed, indicating that the prepared membrane can also be easily regenerated. This study promises possibilities for the production of photocatalytic membranes and fabrics for both chemical and biological contaminant control.
Highlights
Rapid growth in population and industrialization is the main factor responsible for the increase in chemical and biological contaminants in our environment
G-C3 N4 /poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/PUR membranes were prepared by the immobilization of the exfoliated g-C3 N4 (ECN)
Dissolution of polymer plays an important role in creating membranes and thin films—
Summary
Rapid growth in population and industrialization is the main factor responsible for the increase in chemical and biological contaminants in our environment. The research into the immobilization of photocatalysts activated by sunlight such as g-C3 N4 was not thorough like in the case of the above-mentioned wide band gap semiconductor TiO2 , which suffers from many drawbacks such as being UV light dependent This drawback makes TiO2 -based fabrics less attractive for practical application in the future unlike visible light-responsive g-C3 N4. After testing the performance during the photodegradation of MB, the material used was regenerated using irradiation and hydrogen peroxide to completely remove non-toxic aliphatic residues resulting from MB decomposition adsorbed on the surface of the membrane After this procedure, the already used membrane was subjected to new photocatalytic tests
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