Studies of interaction of methylene blue with pure and structurally modified electrospun poly(methyl methacrylate) nanofibers

Abstract

Exploring new possibilities is always encouraged in the same way as discovering some better solutions to existing problems. The manuscript is focused on exploring the possibilities of synthetic electrospun polymer nanofibers for the adsorption of water pollutants like dyes. Here in this work, electrospun synthetic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers are presented as adsorbents for dyes, taking advantage of the porosity of nanofibers. The further possibilities of electrospinning are also explored to modify these nanofibers, and the modified nanofibers lead to enhanced adsorption. The adsorption of dye onto the nanofibers and their interactions are proven by various spectroscopic analyses like FTIR, UV, and so forth. Incorporation of dye into PMMA nanofibers influences the optical properties of all three types of PMMA nanofibers, with a red shift in their peak position and enhancement in photoluminescence (PL) intensity. The bathochromic shift of pure and structurally modified electrospun PMMA nanofibers after adsorbing methylene blue dye is evidenced by PL studies of the samples. The work highlights synthetic adsorbents for water pollutants like dyes.