Novel Cu2O/V2CTx@PDA-ZnO/V2CTx biomimetic nanocomposite fibrous membranes for efficient photocatalytic water purification

Abstract

Industrial wastewater frequently contains high levels of organic materials, heavy metal ions, dyes, and other detrimental constituents, posing significant challenges to traditional treatment methods due to their inefficiency, high energy demands, and propensity for secondary pollution. This paper focuses on photocatalytic technology. Inspired by the natural silk-like network structure of water hyacinth, two nanocomposite fiber membranes (NFMs)—Cu₂O/V₂CT_x@PDA-ZnO/V₂CT_x, designated as CVZ-w and CVZ-b—were synthesized by tuning the proportion of active components and optimizing the electrospinning process. The fabrication process involves first preparing a Cu₂O/V₂CT_x fiber layer, then coating it with polydopamine (PDA) to construct a heterogeneous Fenton-like system for enhanced redox efficiency, followed by depositing a ZnO/V₂CT_x fiber layer on top. Schottky junctions formed between these active materials facilitate the continuous progression of photocatalytic reactions. This membrane integrates the capabilities of inactivating pathogenic microorganisms, removing heavy metal ions, and degrading dyes, offering a holistic solution for water environment treatment. Experimental results show its exceptional performance: achieving a sterilization efficiency of 92.29%, reducing heavy metal Cr(VI) by 83.17%, and degrading MB dye with an efficiency of 93.67%. Additionally, this NFMs demonstrates superior oil–water separation characteristics. Upon forming a water film, oily substances are effectively prevented from penetrating the membrane layer, facilitating efficient oil–water separation.