Development of self-supported polymeric membrane for contaminant removal from wastewater

Abstract

Nanocomposite materials are comprised of metal nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) have garnered significant attention across various materials science disciplines due to their vast potential applications. Specifically, the focus of this study was on developing a highly efficient photocatalyst using GO/TiO2 nanocomposites integrated with metal nanoparticles, which was successfully achieved through a straightforward solvothermal synthesis method. The synthesized nanocomposites underwent thorough characterization employing techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile strength analysis, point of zero charge (PZC) determination, and swelling tests. The membrane fabrication process involved the utilization of N,N Dimethylformamide (DMF), 32wt% polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), 16wt% Polyethylene glycol (PEG), and 0.640wt% of the GO/TiO2 nanocomposite. Subsequently, the photocatalytic performance of these nanocomposites was evaluated through the degradation of various pollutants, namely methylene blue (MB), Safranin O (SO), a mixture of both dyes (SO+MB), and K2Cr2O7, a model representative of water pollutants. Remarkably, catalytic degradation efficiencies of 78.388% for MB, 71.52% for SO, 67.638,85.872% for the SO+MB mixture, and 95.09% for K2Cr2O7 were achieved when using a nanocomposite containing 7% GO under 120 minutes of UV-A (365 nm) irradiation. Overall, the synthesized nanocomposites demonstrated promising photocatalytic potential, indicating their viability for future environmental remediation applications.