Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
from drinking water. Electrospun nanoibrous membranes offer a promising solution for
the removal of organic compounds in water. Uyar et al. studied the removal of a model
organic compound, phenolphthalein, from water using beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) incorpo-
rated polystyrene (PS) fibers.
46
A cross-linked carbon nanoiber/PVA nanoiber membrane
was found to be an excellent sorbent for aromatic amines from wastewater.
47
Oil released into water sources due to industrial discharge poses a serious threat to
all the aquatic living systems. It forms a layer on the top and thus reduces the dissolved
oxygen content. Shang and co-workers have been extensively working on the potential of
functional electrospun nanoibers for removal of oil from water.
48
In one of their recent publications, they have shown that a facile combination of electro-
spun cellulose acetate (CA) nanoibers and a novel
in situ
polymerized luorinated polyben-
zoxazine (F-PBZ) functional layer that incorporated silica nanoparticles (SiO
2
NPs), exhibits
robust oil-water separation.
48
Figure 23.8 shows the schematic of the process along with
an SEM image of the prepared membrane. The same group has illustrated that micro- and
nanostructures of electrospun PS ibers show much higher oil absorption capacities than
the commercially available polypropylene mats (PP). This material could prove a bright
candidate for oil spill cleanups (Figure 23.9).
49
V
Electrospinning
CA
1 µm
In situ
polymerization
F
3
C
OH
NO
N
Facile oil-water separation
m
CF
3
F
3
C
F
3
C
F
3
C
F
3
F-PBZ
N
BAF-tfa
CF
3
OH
ON
CF
3
: BAF-tfa monomer
: SiO
2
NPs
FIGURE 23.8
(See color insert.)
Schematic of electrospun CA nanoibers coated with F-PBZ and SiO
2
NPs and its ability to
separate oil-water mixture. (From Shang, Y. et al.,
Nanoscale
, 4, 7847, 2012.)
(a)
(b)
Water
Oil
Oil
Water
5 mm
5 mm
FIGURE 23.9
Water and oil droplets placed on the (a) porous PS ibrous mats and (b) commercial PP non-woven fabric. (From
Lin, J. et al.,
Nanoscale
, 4, 176, 2012.)
