Electrospun nanofibrous membranes with functionalized 2D nanofillers for efficient micropollutant removal from water

Abstract

In response to emerging challenges in water pollution, such as the contamination caused by dyes and antibiotics, scientists have been driven to develop state-of-the-art remediation techniques. The electrospun nanofiber membrane effectively eliminates antibiotics and dyes from industrial wastewater. This research work primarily centres on creating electrospun membranes based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes and mixed matrix membranes (MMM), PAN@MMM-1 and PAN@MMM-2, crafted through the electrospinning process. Enhanced membrane performance has been achieved by incorporating functionalized clay materials, alginate-bentonite (Alg-Bnt) and lanthanum-bentonite (La-Bnt) nano clay, as nanofillers. These membranes offer a combination of ease of use, high efficiency, energy and cost savings, and an environmentally friendly and ecologically beneficial nature. The study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the materials and membranes using a range of advanced technologies such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and the plate colony counting method for assessing antibacterial activity. UV–visible spectroscopy and HPLC were employed to determine the concentrations of antibiotics and dye compounds in the feed and permeate. The results revealed that the PAN@MMM-1 membrane exhibited a water permeability value up to 18.8 L m−2 h−1 and achieved rejection rates of up to 99.08 % for BSA, 97.82 % for cephalexin, 98.23 % for diclofenac, and 97.24 % for sulfamethoxazole. Moreover, it demonstrated impressive rejection rates of 99.39 % for methyl orange and 96.77 % for methyl violet, highlighting its remarkable efficacy in purifying wastewater.