Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide/atactic poly(styrene) fibers with nanoporous crystalline phase

Abstract

The preparation of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide/atactic poly(styrene) (PPO/PS) fibers with nanoporous crystalline (NC) phase through guest-induced crystallization of melt-spun amorphous fibers is for the first time reported. These NC PPO/PS fibers display exceptional capacity to absorb volatile organic compounds from dissolved in water at very low concentrations. The equilibrium uptakes and sorption kinetics of perchloroethylene (PCE) exhibit significantly higher values and faster rates compared to the corresponding amorphous fibers. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the equilibrium uptakes of NC PPO/PS fibers are considerably higher compared to NC PPO films. The fast pollutant uptake exhibited by these innovative NC PPO/PS fibers makes them highly promising potential applications in the field of water pollutant remediation.