MWCNTs Decorated with TiO 2 as Highly Performing Filler in the Preparation of Nanocomposite Membranes for Scalable Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: MWCNTs Decorated with TiO 2 as Highly Performing Filler in the Preparation of Nanocomposite Membranes for Scalable Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water.
Authors: Tursi, Antonio1 (AUTHOR) antonio.tursi@unical.it, Beneduci, Amerigo1,2 (AUTHOR) amerigo.beneduci@unical.it, Nicotera, Isabella1,3 (AUTHOR) isabella.nicotera@unical.it, Simari, Cataldo1,3 (AUTHOR) cataldo.simari@unical.it
Source: Nanomaterials (2079-4991). Aug2023, Vol. 13 Issue 16, p2325. 19p.
Subjects: Irradiation, Bisphenol A, Polyethersulfone, Photodegradation, Hybrid materials, Titanium dioxide, Multiwalled carbon nanotubes, Chemical stability
Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting compound with estrogenic behavior, is of great concern within the scientific community due to its high production levels and increasing concentration in various surface aquifers. While several materials exhibit excellent capacity for the photocatalytic degradation of BPA, their powdered nature and poor chemical stability render them unsuitable for practical application in large-scale water decontamination. In this study, a new class of nanocomposite membranes based on sulfonated polyethersulfone (sPES) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with TiO2 nanoparticles (MWCNTs-TiO2) were investigated as efficient and scalable photocatalysts for the photodegradation of BPA in aqueous solutions. The MWCNTs-TiO2 hybrid material was prepared through a facile and inexpensive hydrothermal method and extensively characterized by XRD, Raman, FTIR, BET, and TGA. Meanwhile, nanocomposite membranes at different filler loadings were prepared by a simple casting procedure. Swelling tests and PFG NMR analyses provided insights into the impact of filler introduction on membrane hydrophilicity and water molecular dynamics, whereas the effectiveness of the various photocatalysts in BPA removal was monitored using HPLC. Among the different MWCNTs-TiO2 content nanocomposites, the one at 10 wt% loading (sP-MT10) showed the best photoactivity. Under UV irradiation at 254 nm and 365 nm for 240 min, photocatalytic oxidation of 5 mg/L bisphenol A by sP-MT10 resulted in 91% and 82% degradation, respectively. Both the effect of BPA concentration and the membrane regenerability were evaluated, revealing that the sP-MT10 maintained its maximum BPA removal capability over more than 10 cycles. Our findings indicate that sP-MT nanocomposite membranes are versatile, scalable, efficient, and highly reusable photocatalysts for the degradation of BPA, as well as potentially for other endocrine disruptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Nanomaterials (2079-4991) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Be the first to leave a comment!
You must be logged in first