Abstract
Membrane separation is proved to be a powerful tool for several applications such as wastewater treatment or the elimination of various microorganisms from drinking water. In this study, the efficiency of inorganic composite-based multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid membranes was investigated in the removal of MS2 bacteriophages from contaminated water. With this object, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were coated with copper(I) oxide, titanium(IV) oxide and iron(III) oxide nanoparticles, respectively, and their virus removal capability was tested in both batch and flow experiments. Considering the possible pH range of drinking water, the filtration tests were carried out at pH 5.0, 7.5 and 9.0 as well. The extent of MS2 removal strongly depended on the pH values for each composite, which can be due to electrostatic interactions between the membrane and the virus. The most efficient removal (greater than or equal to 99.99%) was obtained with the Cu2O-coated MWCNT membrane in the whole pH range. The fabricated nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, specific surface area measurement, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurement, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This study presents a simple route to design novel and effective nanocomposite-based hybrid membranes for virus removal.
Highlights
One of the main challenges of humanity is the demand for safe drinking water
As an essential characterization of pristine multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), its representative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image and Raman spectrum are presented in figure 3
The overall excellent performance of the Cu2O/MWCNT nanocomposite membranes for virus removal suggests that further development of the produced filters is of great promise for the powerful treatment of virus-contaminated water
Summary
One of the main challenges of humanity is the demand for safe drinking water. Based on current records, two billion people are left without sufficient sanitation, and about half of these people lack access to safe drinking water [1]. The outstanding physical properties of CNTs, e.g. their mechanical and chemical durability, as well as their thermal and electrical conductivity [12] allow for the use of CNTs in many applications [13,14]. Their affinity to adsorb organic compounds [15] and the high specific surface area [16] indicate their potential use in water purification [17,18], which is further exemplified by their reported antimicrobial activity [19].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call