Molecularly imprinted poly(vinylidene fluoride) electrospinning membrane for enhancive endocrine disruptor adsorption and efficient dye removal by photodegradation

Abstract

Various water pollutants, such as endocrine disruptors, dyes, and microorganisms pose significant threats to the ecosystem and human health. However, integrated treatment methods for these pollutants are still scarcely investigated, which greatly impedes the advancement of water treatment technology. In this regard, there is an urgent need for novel combined processing techniques capable of simultaneously removing different types of pollutants from wastewater. Herein, we synthesized a molecularly imprinted MOF/PVDF electrospinning nanofibrous membrane, which is designed for selective adsorption of bisphenol A (BPA), photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), and efficient inhibition against bacteria in treating wastewater. Firstly, the as-prepared MOF/PVDF molecularly imprinted polymer membrane (MOF/PVDF-MIM) exhibits a higher affinity for BPA compared to other model pollutants attributing to the molecular imprinting effect. The adsorption mechanism was also investigated, indicating that the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model closely match the adsorption process of the MOF/PVDF-MIM on BPA. In addition, the MOF/PVDF-MIM demonstrates excellent photocatalytic performance towards MB, achieving a degradation rate of up to 95.2 % under simulated sunlight irradiation. Moreover, the as-prepared membrane shows enhanced structural stability after several rounds of adsorption-desorption or degradation cycle, with a high adsorption rate of 53.1 % for BPA and a photocatalytic efficiency of 66.6 % for dye pollutants. Finally, it is observed that the as-prepared membrane exhibits excellent bacterial inhibition rates (>99 %) against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In summary, the MOF/PVDF-MIM with outstanding performance in selective adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and bacterial inhibition, can be potentially applied as an ideal filtration membrane for the combined treatments of water processing.