Casting Polymer Solution Research Articles

Remediation of contaminated water using cellulose acetate membrane hybrid by sunflower seed shell–activated carbon

AbstractIn this study, newly created hybrid cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared using the phase inversion technique. Activated carbon derived from Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed shells (SFAC) were immersed in CA polymer casting solution, and the produced membranes were used to treat contaminated water. Phosphoric acid was utilized as an activating agent with a ratio of 3:1 (wt.) for preparing SFAC7, SFAC8, and SFAC9 activated carbons with various carbonization temperatures (700, 800, and 900°C, respectively). By using SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and FTIR, the SFAC and CA membranes were characterized. The SFAC9 sample has the highest surface area SBET (786.62 m2/g), total pore volume VT (0.7694 mL/g), and pore radius r– (4.0026 nm). The effects of various starting concentrations (5–20 mg/L), SFAC dose (0.1–0.5), pH (2–12), and contact time (0.5–24 h) conditions were investigated. The outcomes showed that the CA (SFAC9 0.1%) membrane performed better than other membranes in removing crystal violet (CV) dye, with an 84.67% removal rate under ideal environmental circumstances. The dye decolorization onto the CA (SFAC9 0.1%) membrane was fitted with various adsorption isotherms using the Langmuir > Tempkin > Freundlich model. Additionally, the kinetics studies showed pseudo-second-order, which suggests that chemisorption occurred.

A novel interfacial polymerization assisted phase inversion process for the facile fabrication of ion-selective nanofiltration membranes

Interfacial polymerization (IP) and non-solvent induced phase inversion (NIPS) are the two most commonly used mainstream technologies to fabricate separation membranes. Taking their advantages, we developed a simple, facile and scalable method to integrate the IP and NIPS processes together for the fabrication of ion-selective nanofiltration membranes. Herein, amphiphilic polysulfone block hyperbranched polyglycerol (PSf-b-hPG) copolymer was synthesized and blended with polyethylene imide (PEI) to prepare a polymer casting solution in organic solvents. After casted into the liquid film of PSf-b-hPG and PEI blending solution, it was then immersed into a cross-linking solution with 0.2 wt.% trimethylchloride (TMC) in n-hexane for the generation of the polyamide layer first on top of the liquid film, and finally transferred into a water coagulation bath for the formation of the porous matrix of PSf-b-hPG membrane. The fabricated membrane exhibited a high water permeance of 12.57 L m-2h−1 bar−1 and a high separation factor of 25.08 towards Mg2+ and Li+ ions, which is superior to the perm-selectivity of the most reported nanofiltration membranes. This novel and facile process can be directly applied to the NIPS manufacturing line, eliminating a separate IP production line and holding immense potentials and advantages in scale-up production.

Crafting and Analyzing Multi-Structured Aramid Materials and Their Pyrolytic Transformations: A Comprehensive Exploration.

Gradient porous materials, particularly carbon-based materials, hold immense potential in the fields of batteries, energy storage, electrocatalysis, and sensing, among others, by synergistically combining the attributes associated with each pore size within a unified structural framework. In this study, we developed a gradient porous aramid (GP-Aramid) by incorporating cellulose acetate as a porosity promoter in the polymer casting solution in different proportions. These GP-Aramids were subsequently transformed into their pyrolyzed counterparts (GP-Pyramids), retaining their original structures while displaying diverse cellular or dense microstructures inherited from the parent aramid, as confirmed via scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction spectra provided evidence of the conversion of aramids into carbonaceous materials. The materials showed structural defects observed through the intensity ratio of the G and D bands (ID/IG = 1.05) in the Raman spectra, while X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) revealed that the carbonization process yielded pyrolyzed carbon materials unusually rich in nitrogen (6%), oxygen (20%), and carbon (72%), which is especially relevant for catalysis applications. The pyrolyzed materials showed bulk resistivities from 5.3 ± 0.3 to 34.2 ± 0.6 depending on the meta- or para-orientation of the aramid and the porous structure. This work contributes to understanding these gradient porous aromatic polyamides' broader significance and potential applications in various fields.

Polysulfone/sepiolite nanocomposites and disulfonated polysulfone as desalination membranes

This research targeted the preparation of new sepiolite-based nanocomposites and sulfonated polysulfone and compare them as desalination dense membranes. At the first step, a polysulfone with appropriate molecular weight was synthesized by condensation polymerization. The hydrophilic nature of the synthesized polymer was improved using two different methods: addition of various percentage (0.5–5% by weight) of sepiolite nanorods into the polymeric matrix, and introduction of sulfonated groups with 35–45 wt% sulfonation content to the polysulfone main chain. Precipitation by solvent evaporation was used to produce dense membranes after casting polymer solutions. FTIR, 1HNMR, and EDAX were used to identify the chemical structures of polysulfone, related nanocomposites, and sulfonated polysulfone. Also, the prepared samples were evaluated by equilibrium volume fraction of water, contact angle, water absorption, density, SEM, TGA, DSC, AFM and tensile test. Finally, the operation tests of the membrane including water flux, sodium chloride rejection, hydraulic water permeability, and salt permeability were investigated.

Nanocomposite Membranes Based on Fluoropolymers for Electrochemical Energy Sources.

The physicochemical and transport properties (ion-exchange capacity, water content, diffusion permeability, conductivity, and current-voltage characteristic) of a series of perfluorinated membranes with an inert fluoropolymer content from 0 to 40%, obtained by polymer solution casting, were studied. Based on the analysis of the parameters of the extended three-wire model, the effect of an inert component on the path of electric current flow in the membrane and its selectivity were estimated. The mechanical characteristics of the membranes, such as Young’s modulus, yield strength, tensile strength, and relative elongation, were determined from the dynamometric curves. The optimal amount of the inert polymer in the perfluorinated membrane was found to be 20%, which does not significantly affect its structure and electrotransport properties but increases the elasticity of the obtained samples. Therefore, the perfluorinated membrane with 20% of inert fluoropolymer is promising for its application in redox flow batteries and direct methanol fuel cells.

Synthesis and Characterization of Antibacterial ZnO - Functionalized Polysulfone Membrane

Membrane technology is an emerging alternative in water treatment. This study aims to synthesize a filtration membrane made of polysulfone polymer with the addition of ZnO in order to enhanced the membrane antibacterial/antibiofouling property. The membrane was manufactured via Non-Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) phase inversion of the polymer casting solution. The composition of ZnO was varied into 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. The results of the membrane synthesis were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), pure water permeability test, and selectivity test with a turbid meter. The hydrophilic properties of the membrane were analysed by measuring the contact angle, and the antibacterial characteristics were analyzed by the disc diffusion test. Analysis by FTIR showed the presence of a sulfone functional group (S=O) derived from polysulfone polymer and a methyl functional group (C-H) derived from PEG. SEM analysis showed that each variation of the polysulfone membrane had an upper surface structure that was close to the honeycomb structure. The pure air permeability test shows that the membrane is porous and able to pass through pure air. Selectivity test with a turbid meter showed that the membrane is selective to the feed stream that passes through it. Analysis of contact angle measurements showed that the polysulfone membrane surface was hydrophilic. Antibacterial activity analysis showed that polysulfone membrane had antibacterial ability with the largest zone of inhibition with a value 1.8 mm on the membrane with the largest concentration of ZnO.

Tailorable regulation of mass transfer channel in environmentally friendly calcium alginate membrane for dye removal

Environmentally friendly polymer membranes for dye contamination removal were prepared from edible calcium alginate. The stable gel structure was formed by molecular chains of sodium alginate cross-linked by chelate-formation with calcium ions. To improve the water permeability of the membranes and make them suitable for membrane separation processes, their mass transfer channels were precisely regulated to form fine voids via the addition of oligoethylene glycol (OEG) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) to a casting polymer solution and subsequent removal of the OEG or PEG from the membranes by a washing process after cross-linking. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the chemical properties of the membranes with voids formed by OEG or PEG were the same as the properties of the original calcium alginate membrane without void forming. Despite their same chemical properties, the performance of the membranes clearly differed. The effect of the different void structures on the mass transfer channels was investigated using pure water permeation, Methyl Orange dye rejection, and volumetric void fraction measurements, as well as morphological observations by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The membrane with voids formed by OEG exhibited to an increase in water permeability compared with the original membrane, whereas the molecular separation performance was maintained within the nanofiltration region. Meanwhile, the membrane with voids formed by PEG was suitable for use in high-flux ultrafiltration processes for pretreating wastewater. The biocompatible membranes with tailorable separation ability presented herein are candidates for use in purification processes for recovering dye-polluted water resources.

Novel blended poly(sulfide sulfone)/poly(ether sulfone) dense membranes for water treatment

AbstractIn this research, a novel aromatic poly(sulfide sulfone) (PPY) containing pyridine and sulfide groups is synthesized by polycondensation reactions of a new diol(diol‐PY) with bis(4‐fluorophenyl) sulfone. Also a poly(ether sulfone) (PBM) is prepared through reaction of 4,4′‐(1,3‐phenylenediisopropylidene) bisphenol(bisphenol M) with bis(4‐fluorophenyl) sulfone similarly. The chemical structure of diol‐PY and polymers is identified by spectroscopic techniques. PBM/PPY blending dense membranes with composition of 100/0, 75/25, and 50/50 wt% are developed via phase inversion induced method by solvent evaporation. The prepared dense membranes are specified by water contact angle, water absorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile strength. Pure water flux, hydraulic water permeability, and salt permeability are applied to evaluate the process performance of the membrane. According to SEM and DSC results, good miscibility of two polymers is concluded. Thermal stability of PBM/PPY blend membranes enhance compared with PBM membrane. Water contact angle and water absorption evaluation indicate that the hydrophilicity of PBM membrane improve by incorporating of PPY in the casting polymer solution. The similar result is observed for pure water flux and hydraulic water permeability of the synthesized dense membranes.

Preparation and Study of Sulfonated Co-Polynaphthoyleneimide Proton-Exchange Membrane for a H2/Air Fuel Cell.

The sulfonated polynaphthoyleneimide polymer (co-PNIS70/30) was prepared by copolymerization of 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether-2,2′-disulfonic acid (ODAS) and 4,4’-methylenebisanthranilic acid (MDAC) with ODAS/MDAC molar ratio 0.7/0.3. High molecular weight co-PNIS70/30 polymers were synthesized either in phenol or in DMSO by catalytic polyheterocyclization in the presence of benzoic acid and triethylamine. The titration reveals the ion-exchange capacity of the polymer equal to 2.13 meq/g. The membrane films were prepared by casting polymer solution. Conductivities of the polymer films were determined using both in- and through-plane geometries and reached ~96 and ~60 mS/cm, respectively. The anisotropy of the conductivity is ascribed to high hydration of the surface layer compared to the bulk. SFG NMR diffusometry shows that, in the temperature range from 213 to 353 K, the 1H self-diffusion coefficient of the co-PNIS70/30 membrane is about one third of the diffusion coefficient of Nafion® at the same humidity. However, temperature dependences of proton conductivities of Nafion® and of co-PNIS70/30 membranes are nearly identical. Membrane–electrode assemblies (MEAs) based on co-PNIS70/30 were fabricated by different procedures. The optimal MEAs with co-PNIS70/30 membranes are characterized by maximum output power of ~370 mW/cm2 at 80 °C. It allows considering sulfonated co-PNIS70/30 polynaphthoyleneimides membrane attractive for practical applications.

Development of polyethersulfone (PES)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane

Polyethersulfone (PES) is a polymeric material that is commonly used due to its chemical resistance, high mechanical strength, and thermal stability. The improvement of PES hydrophilicity and anti-fouling properties can be facilitated by mixing additives into the polymer casting solution. This study involved the preparation and characterization of PES/pluronic F108/chitosan/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane. The modified PES membrane was developed by employing the phase inversion method via immersion precipitation. The effect of varying concentration of rGO nanocomposite ranging from 0.05 to 0.20 wt% in the fabricated membrane was evaluated in terms of membrane pure water permeation (PWP), salt rejection, morphology, and hydrophilicity. Images obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed increasing rGO nanocomposite concentration in the casting solution, resulted in the increase in membrane sub layer thickness, hydrophilicity, salt rejection, and improvement in the membrane pore structure. Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the hydrophilic functional group and chemical compound in the prepared membrane. PES with 0.20 wt% of rGO nanocomposite obtained the highest PWP at 28.64 (L/m2h) at 5 bar pressure, whereas the highest rejections of monovalent and multivalent salt were obtained by PES with 0.15 wt% rGO nanocomposite with 75% and 89% rejections, respectively at 5 bar pressure. This study shows that the utilization of rGO nanocomposite as an additive in the PES casting solution can enhance nanofiltration membrane performance and morphological structure.

Study on thermo-kinetic modeling of green route synthesized inorganic loading on PVDF membrane for Cr(VI) removal and its optimization

Mathematical modeling of a phase inversion membrane was studied to predict the morphology. The effect of different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane casting solutions was investigated. The addition of green synthesized TiO2 increases the viscosity, and a sufficient amount results in the formation of two phases. Thermodynamics enhances the demixing rate, whereas kinetics delays the demixing rate; this trade-off between thermodynamic and kinetic parameter will affect the membrane morphology. A quadratic phase diagram for PVDF/ TiO2/solvent/Water system was drawn experimentally at different concentrations of TiO2 using a new method. Synthesized membranes were characterized by the contact angle, porosity, and permeability. Surface morphologies at different compositions were also examined using High Resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM). At TiO2 concentration of 2 wt% in the polymer casting solution, thermodynamics parameter dominates kinetics parameter; thus, maximum porosity with enhanced permeability was achieved experimentally. The importance of thermo-kinetic parameters was further assessed using response surface optimization. The study suggested an optimum value of 2.165% of weight% TiO2 at 5.125 pH giving excellent agreement to the experimental data.

Morphology of Micro-Porous Membrane of Waste Cigarette Butts Using Phase Inversion Method

The separation technique in industrial processes with membrane technology is very important. Ultrafiltration membrane is one type of membrane using the principle of pressure-push force. One of the most commonly used ultrafiltration membrane materials is cellulose acetate (CA) membrane. The advantage of CA as a membrane material is that easily produced and its raw material which is a renewable source. The aim of this work is to present a simple experimental and simulation studies to illustrate the phase separation in the membrane synthesis process by the phase inversion technique. Simulation is used to determine the surface characteristics of the synthesized membrane. Two systems commonly used for the preparation of membrane synthesis are waste cigarette butts (WCB)/acetone/water. The effect of adding WCB concentrations (1 and 2 pieces) to the initial polymer casting solution was studied through simulation and compared with available experimental data. The experimental results are in accordance with the simulation was carried out. It shows that the surface profile of the membrane with the composition of the polymer film during precipitation can provide important information about the structure and substructure of the membrane formed. This also shows that the influence of CA concentration is closely related to changes in pore size on the membranes that are formed. The asymmetrical membrane structure prepared by the phase inversion process is influenced by the type and concentration of the polymer (WCB), solvent, membrane thickness and temperature and processing time.

Amino-MIL-53(Al)-Nanosheets@Nafion Composite Membranes with Improved Proton/Methanol Selectivity for Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Using AMA nanosheets and Nafion as raw materials, several AMA-x@Nafion composite membranes were successfully synthesized by polymer solution casting and corresponding mechanical property, proton co...

Surface organo‐modification of hydroxyapatites to improve PLA/HA compatibility

AbstractPolylactide/hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) composites are promising tissue engineering materials because of the PLA biodegradability and HA as a natural bone component. PLA/HA composites without HA modification lead to mechanical failure due to the interfacial immiscibility. In this study, an effective chemical surface methodology is used to modify HA to obtain PLA/HA composites with superior mechanical properties. The HA particles are modified with fatty acids (adipic, sebacic, lauric, and linoleic) and incorporated into a PLA matrix by polymer solution casting, using chloroform as the solvent. After the HA modification, the films exhibited an improvement in tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus. Yet, the best results observed are by sebacic and adipic acid modification. These increments are attributed to a higher affinity of the organo‐modified HA particles within the PLA matrix. Therefore, the development of materials for osteo‐regeneration engineering based on these systems is quite promising.

Effect of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) on Polysulfone/Zeolite membrane for the removal of copper ions

The influence of anionic surfactant, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) on Polysulfone (PSf) polymer impregnated with zeolite adsorbent for removing copper ions from aqueous solution is the main focus of this paper. The flat sheet membrane was prepared via blending and phase inversion methods. Different amount of SDS (1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, and 7 wt%) were added into the polymer casting solution. Batch adsorption and continuous filtration studies were carried out to study the effect of SDS dosage on PSf/zeolite membrane for the removal of copper ion. The membrane characterizations such as pure water flux (PWF), water contact angle (WCA) and mean pore size were investigated. From the study, it was found that the presence of a high amount of SDS could enhance adsorption efficiency (99 %) by shortening the equilibrium time with adsorption of 9.4 mg/g. Filtration study indicates that a lower amount of SDS (1 wt%) results in high rejection value (70 %) of copper metal ions from the solution. Besides, as the amount of SDS increase, the PWF increases from 0 L/m2h to 100 L/m2h, WCA decreases from 94.8° to 46.4° and the pore size of membrane increases from 0.082 μm to 2.530 μm.

Enhanced performance of salt-induced Pluronic F127 and bentonite blended polyvinyl chloride ultrafiltration membrane for the processing of oilfield produced water

Pluronic F127 blended polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes using different loading of inorganic salts (like NaCl, KCl, NH4Cl, MgCl2 and CaCl2) in casting solution involving N-methyl-pyrrolidone solvent are prepared for the cleaning of oilfield produced water with 200 ppm oil concentration. The effect of salt loading in casting solution on the performance of blended PVC membranes is studied by determining the thermodynamic and kinetic effect, membrane hydrophilicity, morphology, pure water flux, oilfield produced water permeate flux, oil rejection and fouling resistance ability. A better performing membrane is obtained using KCl in polymer casting solution involving PVC-14.0 (g), NMP-80.0 (g), Pluronic F127-5.0 (g) and KCl-1.0 (g) with enhanced (i) pure water flux (i.e., 607.8 L m−2 h-1), (ii) produced water permeate flux (i.e., 265.7 L m−2 h-1) and (iii) oil rejection (> 92.8 %) with higher fouling resistance (i.e., flux recover ratio > 71.65 %) when trans membrane pressure is kept at 100 kPa, compared to PVC UF membranes involving CaCl2, MgCl2, NaCl and NH4Cl salts in casting solution. The addition of bentonite nanoclay in Pluronic F127 and KCl-induced PVC casting solution has a significant impact to improve the UF performance and results super-hydrophilic membrane with water contact angle < 10°. An enhancement in pure water and oilfield produced water permeate flux by 42.25 % and 37.61 %, respectively, with oil rejection > 92.0 % is obtained over UF membrane without bentonite.

Filler materials to prevent polymer intrusion into mesoporous substrates during thin film formation

Abstract The versatility and ease of synthesis of polymers have made membrane separations an attractive option for treatment of complex waters. However, most water-permeable polymers lack tolerance to corrosive environments. In our laboratory, we are developing a new class of composite membranes that incorporate water-permeable molecular sieve particles within an impermeable polymer matrix in a thin film on a porous support membrane. Together these water-selective molecular sieve particles and impermeable polymers potentially enable superior chemical resistance to harsh environments, such as extreme pH or oxidative chemicals, when compared to membranes cast using water-permeable polymers. However, using an impermeable polymer presents a unique challenge in a membrane design; if the impermeable polymer intrudes into the pores of the support material, it will block water transport through the support membrane. In this paper, we report the results of filling the pores of the support material with a liquid that is immiscible with the impermeable polymer casting solution in order to limit polymer intrusion into the support during casting. We developed a model and procedure for selecting liquid filler materials, based on a modified Washburn equation, which can be broadly applied to any solvent-polymer-support combination. Specifically, we report on the balance between the gravitational and capillary forces necessary to select a filler material that limits polymer intrusion into the support.

Green preparation process using methyl lactate for cellulose-acetate-based nanofiltration membranes

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared via phase inversion using methyl lactate as a green solvent and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran as a green co-solvent with or without evaporation period prior to immersion of the cast polymer solution in the coagulation bath. The membrane morphologies were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and the membrane performance was screened using aqueous rose bengal (RB) or MgSO4 feed solutions. With CA-concentration in the casting solution increasing from 8 to 20 wt%, RB-rejection increased from 31.1% to 99.5%, while permeance decreased from 32.0 to 2.4 L/m2·h·bar. CA-membranes cast from a 10 wt% polymer solution had a RB-rejection higher than 92.0% with good permeance around 3.5 L/m2·h·bar at low co-solvent concentration (10 wt%). However, with increased co-solvent concentration (i.e. 30–50 wt%), both rejection and permeance surprisingly decreased, regardless evaporation time. For membranes cast from a 20 wt% polymer solution, RB-rejection remained around 99% and permeance decreased with increasing co-solvent concentration in the casting solution. MgSO4 rejection was around 93.0% for membranes cast from a 20 wt% polymer solution with 10 wt% co-solvent without evaporation (at a flux of 1.0 L/m2·h·bar) and 96.5% with evaporation at a flux of 1.3 L/m2·h·bar.

High Selective Mixed Membranes Based on Mesoporous MCM-41 and MCM-41-NH2 Particles in a Polysulfone Matrix.

The development of membrane technology for gas separation processes evolved with the fabrication of so-called mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) as an alternative to neat polymers, in order to improve the overall membrane effectiveness. Once the mixed matrix membranes are used, the gas separation properties of the porous materials used as fillers are combined with the economical processability and desirable mechanical properties of polymer matrix. Mixed mesoporous silica/polymer membranes with high CO2 and O2 permeability and selectivity were designed and prepared by incorporating MCM-41 particles into a polymer matrix. Ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 with high surface confirmed by BET analysis were obtained and functionalized with amino groups. In order to obtain the mixed membranes, the mesoporous silica was embedded into the polysulfone matrix (PSF). Flat mixed matrix membranes with 5, 10, and 20 wt% MCM-41 and MCM-41-NH2 loadings have been prepared via the polymer solution casting method. The phase's interactions were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TGA), while the gas separation performances were evaluated using pure gases (CO2, O2, N2). The MCM-41/PSF and MCM-41-NH2/PSF membranes exhibited increased permeabilities for O2 (between 1.2 and 1.7 Barrer) and CO2 (between 4.2 and 8.1 Barrer) compared to the neat membrane (0.8 Barrer). The loss of selectivity for the O2/N2 (between 6 and 8%) and CO2/N2 (between 25 and 41%) gas pairs was not significant compared with the pure membrane (8 and 39%, respectively). The MCM-41/PSF membranes were more selective for CO2/N2 than the O2/N2 pair, due to the size difference between CO2 and N2 molecules and to the condensability of CO2, leading to an increase of solubility. Stronger interactions have been noticed for MCM-41-NH2/PSF membranes due to the amino groups, with the selectivity increasing for both gas pairs compared with the MCM-41/PSF membranes.

Nanostructured graphene-platinum-PEDOT electrode materials for enhanced Schottky performance and power conversion applications

Counter electrode are crucial components in determining the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. An ideal electrode material would have high conductivity (i.e. high electron mobility) and excellent catalytic activity for electrolyte reduction. Various electrode materials have been investigated, however most materials demonstrate either the catalytic activity or the conductivity. In this paper, we investigated combining the catalytic and electrical conductivity for enhanced electrode materials by fabricating of a hybrid structure consisting of PEDOT/graphene/Pt/semiconductor heterojunction. A hybrid structure was successfully fabricated by atomic layer deposition of Pt over the surface of n-silicon followed by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of graphene sheets and then an immediate spin coating of PEDOT prepared by solution casting polymerization. The hybridstructure showed a noticeable difference in the reflection/absorption measurements where the absorption drastically increased upon PEDOT deposition. The photoluminescence emission spectra showed two main peaks at 525 nm and 700 nm, with an enhancement in the band-to-band PL process attributed to the separation of the photo-generated charges and the excitonic PL signal related to surface defects and states. Moreover, the electrical characterization of the hybrid electrodes showed a response of about 7.15 × 10−6 A, which is nearly 7 times that of the bare graphene, as well as electrical stability for a period of 300 s under dark conditions.