TiO2/PLLA Electrospun Nanofibers Membranes for Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue Using Sunlight

Globally, 80% of wastewater is still discharged in the environment without being treated at all. Wastewater treatment has become a concern to preserve the ecosystem and to secure the agricultural activities, particularly in regions suffering from water scarcity. This work presents a highly effective method that uses sunlight to rid water of organic pollutants. Titanium oxide, which is known for its photocatalytic properties for the decomposition of organic pollutants, was electrospun with a biodegradable polymer of polylactic acid (PLLA). Nano-fiber membranes of PLLA containing TiO(2)were morphologically and structurally characterized using scanning electron microscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy. The wettability of the membranes was investigated and their performance was studied by measuring the adsorption capacity for methylene blue in presence of sunlight. The membranes showed a 100% removal efficiency (at pollutant concentration as high as 100 ppm and adsorbent dosage of 1 mL/mg) after exposure to sunlight for 60 min at noon in august at Damascus. This underscores the effectiveness of the environmentally and economically applied method.

Automated summary

Wastewater treatment is crucial for preserving ecosystems and supporting agricultural activities, but globally, a large percentage of wastewater is still discharged untreated. This study introduces an effective method using sunlight to remove organic pollutants from water, showing promising results in terms of removal efficiency.