Nanobiocomposite Polymer as a Filter Nanosponge for Wastewater Treatment

Michael Klink,Xavier Yangkou Mbianda,Elvis Fosso-Kankeu,Anny Leudjo Taka,Eliazer Bobby Naidoo

doi:10.3390/molecules26133992

Michael Klink, Xavier Yangkou Mbianda + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26133992

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Abstract

A multifunctional nanobiocomposite polymer was developed in this study through a cross-linking polymerization of cyclodextrin with phosphorylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes followed by sol-gel to incorporate TiO2 and Ag nanoparticles. This work’s novelty was to prove that the developed nanobiocomposite polymer is a potential filter nanosponge capable of removing organic, inorganic, and microorganisms’ pollutants from wastewater samples. The synthesized multifunctional nanobiocomposite polymer was characterized using a range of spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the presence of oxygen-containing groups on the developed nanobiocomposite polymer and carbamate linkage (NH(CO)) distinctive peak at around 1645 cm−1, which is evidence that the polymerization reaction was successful. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows that the developed nanobiocomposite polymer has a rough surface. The Dubinin–Radushkevich and the pseudo-second-order kinetic models best described the adsorption mechanism of Co2+ and TCE’s onto pMWCNT/CD/TiO2-Ag. The efficacy of the developed nanobiocomposite polymer to act as disinfectant material in an environmental media (e.g., sewage wastewater sample) compared to the enriched media (e.g., nutrient Muller Hinton broth) was investigated. From the results obtained, in an environmental media, pMWCNT/CD/TiO2-Ag nanobiocomposite polymer can alter the bacteria’s metabolic process by inhibiting the growth and killing the bacteria, whereas, in enriched media, the bacteria’s growth was retarded.

Highlights

A nanobiocomposite polymer is classified as a polymer matrix nanocomposite (PMNC) and can be defined as a material with multi phases where one of the phases has nanoscale additives
The present study focused on the removal of heavy metal ions (Co2+), chlorinated organic pollutants (TCE), and bacteria (Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Escherichia coli (E. coli)) from synthetic and real wastewater samples using a novel nanobiocomposite polymer as an adsorbent and disinfecting material
The synthesized nanobiocomposite polymer physically appears as a light grey powder

Summary

Introduction

A nanobiocomposite polymer is classified as a polymer matrix nanocomposite (PMNC) and can be defined as a material with multi phases where one of the phases has nanoscale additives. Water is essential for life on earth, but its scarcity currently restricts the access to clean water due to climate change and population growth, as well as its contamination by sewage, domestic wastes, agricultural pollutants (e.g., pesticides), and various industrial activities (e.g., the use of chemicals containing heavy metal ions, dyes, and organic compounds). These water contaminants have been classified into three main classes, such as organic (dyes), inorganic (e.g., metal ions), and pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., E. coli) [2]. Pathogenic microorganism’s pollutants present in water are the source of waterborne diseases [2,3]

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