Abstract
BackgroundThe removal of phenol from aqueous solution via photocatalytic degradation has been recognized as an environmentally friendly technique for generating clean water. The composite nanofibers containing PAN polymer, CNT, and TiO2 NPs were successfully prepared via electrospinning method. The prepared photocatalyst is characterized by SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. Different parameters are studied such as catalyst amount, the effect of pH, phenol concentration, photodegradation mechanism, flow rate, and stability of the composite nanofiber to evaluate the highest efficiency of the photocatalyst.ResultsThe composite nanofibers showed the highest photodegradation performance for the removal of phenol using UV light within 7 min. The pH has a major effect on the photodegradation of phenol with its maximum performance being at pH 5.ConclusionsGiven the stability and flexibility of the composite nanofibers, their use in a dynamic filtration is possible and can be even reused after several cycles.
Highlights
The removal of phenol from aqueous solution via photocatalytic degradation has been recognized as an environmentally friendly technique for generating clean water
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of PAN-carbon nanotube (CNT)/Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-NH2 composite nanofiber is presented in Fig. 2c, proving the highly crystalline character of the TiO2 and CNTs nanoparticles
The result shows that the composite nanofibers contain all the characteristic peaks of PAN, CNT, and TiO2, confirming the successful fabrication of the composite nanofiber membrane [32, 33]
Summary
The removal of phenol from aqueous solution via photocatalytic degradation has been recognized as an environmentally friendly technique for generating clean water. Different parameters are studied such as catalyst amount, the effect of pH, phenol concentration, photodegradation mechanism, flow rate, and stability of the composite nanofiber to evalu‐ ate the highest efficiency of the photocatalyst. Phenol and phenolic compounds are one of the most persistent toxic organic pollutants discharged in wastewater effluents, which are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes [3, 4]. The major sources of phenol and phenolic compounds are discharges of chemical process industries such as pulp and paper, In recent years, photocatalysis has become an alternative for the removal of organic pollutants, including the treatment of phenolic wastewater s due to its economic, efficient, and green feature [11, 12]. Mohamed et al Environ Sci Eur (2020) 32:160 organic pollutants decompose in the presence of a wideband gap semiconductor which can promote reactions in the existence of UV light without being consumed in the entire reaction
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