Polyvinylidene Fluoride Electrospun Fibers Loaded TiO2 for Photocatalytic Degradation and Oil/Water Separation.

In this study, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based nanofibrous membranes embedding TiO₂ were prepared and used for photocatalytic degradation and oil/water separation. The nanofibrous membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal performance analysis, and oil/water separation analysis. And the degradation of rhodamine B dye was also investigated. Results showed that the fiber diameter and thermal stability of the membranes decreased with the increasing of TiO₂. Meanwhile, the fiber surface roughness and specific surface area increased. The analysis of TEM, XRD and FTIR indicated that TiO₂ existed in the PVDF membranes. When the TiO₂ content was 12 %, the fiber diameter of the membranes was about 110 nm, and the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye efficiency was up to 97 %. The reaction rate constant was 0.02057 min⁻¹. At 0.01 MPa vacuum, oil separated from water effectively, which proves that separation can be easily conducted with a low energy cost. Thus, the prepared membranes have a very high application prospect in the purification of reclaimed water and separation of oil and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]