Issue 8, 2024

A self-cleaning polyacrylonitrile fiber membrane modified by photocatalytic nanoparticles and zwitterionic polymer brushes for oil/water separation

Abstract

Membrane separation technique has been widely used in recent years for oily wastewater treatment because of the advantages of simplicity of operation, lack of residual contamination and high separation efficiency. However, membrane fouling and pore plugging can cause serious problems, such as short membrane life and decreased flux. Therefore, in this paper, a self-cleaning polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite membrane with excellent oil–water emulsion separation properties was prepared. The PAN membrane modified with AgI/UiO-66-NH2 was first prepared using electrospinning. The zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (pSBMA) was then modified onto the prefabricated electrospinning membrane by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to prepare hydrophilic polymer brush grafted PAN/AgI/UiO-66-NH2 composite membranes after 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BiBB) was introduced to the composite membrane. The membrane possesses a self-cleaning capacity because AgI/UiO-66-NH2 has the ability of visible light driven catalytic degradation. The powerful hydration ability of the pSBMA and the surrounding water molecules enhance the wettability of the composite membrane. The existence of a photocatalyst and hydration of a zwitterionic polymer brush greatly improve the resistance of the membrane towards contamination. The as prepared membrane was used to treat oil/water emulsions and the results revealed that the membrane has high permeability to four kinds of different oil/water emulsions when driven by gravity. The mentioned membrane might have potential application prospects in oily water treatment.

Graphical abstract: A self-cleaning polyacrylonitrile fiber membrane modified by photocatalytic nanoparticles and zwitterionic polymer brushes for oil/water separation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Nov 2023
Accepted
14 Jan 2024
First published
16 Jan 2024

New J. Chem., 2024,48, 3501-3512

A self-cleaning polyacrylonitrile fiber membrane modified by photocatalytic nanoparticles and zwitterionic polymer brushes for oil/water separation

Y. Shao, J. An, C. Hao, Z. Zhao, M. Kang, H. Zhao, X. Rong and M. Zhao, New J. Chem., 2024, 48, 3501 DOI: 10.1039/D3NJ05340G

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