One-step fabrication and characterization of a poly(vinyl alcohol)/silver hybrid nanofiber mat by electrospinning for multifunctional applications

Abstract

A poly(vinyl alcohol)/silver (Ag–PVA) nanofiber mat was synthesized by electrospinning. The fabricated composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The obtained mat showed good capacity for the removal of mercury ions from water and antibacterial activity. The possible interaction mechanisms between PVA, silver nanoparticles and mercury were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The batch adsorption experiment showed that the composite had good performance for removing mercury ions with good stability to pH and temperature. The adsorption capacity of the composite could be easily regenerated via thermal treatment. The influences of parameters including coexisting ions and the initial concentration of mercury were investigated. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and free energy (ΔG)) of Hg²⁺ sorption were evaluated. The antibacterial tests revealed that the membrane had excellent antibacterial properties. The composite mat has potential for both mercury pollution control and antibacterial applications for water treatment.