Issue 27, 2021

Electroconductive nanofibrous membranes with nanosheet-based microsphere-threaded heterostructures enabling oily wastewater remediation

Abstract

Water pollution caused by oil has placed a significant burden on the ecosystem and human health. However, the present membranes suffer from a serious oil fouling issue during long-term oily wastewater remediation, which has limited their practical applications. Herein, inspired by the taro leaf, we develop a biomimetic nanofibrous membrane composed of BiOBr microspheres anchored on electroconductive SiO2/polyaniline (PANI) core–shell nanofibers. Due to the surface multiscale structures and hydrophilic matrix, the biomimetic membrane shows intriguing superhydrophilicity, underwater superoleophobicity, and low-oil-adhesion. Benefitting from the high porosity and sub-micrometer pores, the membrane exhibited superior capability for separating highly emulsified oil-in-water emulsions with a promising permeation flux of 6140 L m−2 h−1 and a high separation efficiency (total organic carbon content <5 mg L−1). Importantly, the presence of BiOBr/PANI heterojunction arrays with visible light catalytic activity and 3D PANI electroconductive networks effectively imparts desirable self-cleaning properties, maintaining a high flux recovery ratio >98%. The synthesis of such biomimetic nanomaterials may open up new avenues for developing high-performance separation materials for the purification of large volumes of wastewater.

Graphical abstract: Electroconductive nanofibrous membranes with nanosheet-based microsphere-threaded heterostructures enabling oily wastewater remediation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Apr 2021
Accepted
14 Jun 2021
First published
14 Jun 2021

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021,9, 15310-15320

Electroconductive nanofibrous membranes with nanosheet-based microsphere-threaded heterostructures enabling oily wastewater remediation

J. Zhang, J. Song, L. Liu, P. Zhang, Y. Si, S. Zhang, J. Yu and B. Ding, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 15310 DOI: 10.1039/D1TA03195C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements