Photoactivity of hierarchically nanostructured ZnO–PES fibre mats for water treatments

Abstract

Brush-like ZnO nanorods shell grown by CBD onto electrospun PES fibres as photocatalytic membranes for water purification.

Self-Cleaning Properties of Electrospun PVA/TiO2 and PVA/ZnO Nanofibers Composites

“…The neat PVA showed 93% degradation at 470 °C, but 5 wt % PVA/ZnO showed 73%, 7 wt % PVA/ZnO 64%, and 9 wt % PVA/ZnO 61% showed degradation, which confirmed that there was a good amount of ZnO nanoparticles. Similarly, PVA/TiO 2 also showed less degradation than PVA, which confirmed the presence of TiO 2 nanoparticles in the PVA/TiO 2 as shown in Figure 9B [22,23]. …”

Core–sheath nanofibrous membranes based on poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene), polyacrylonitrile, and zinc oxide nanoparticles for photoreduction of Cr(VI) ions in aqueous solutions

“…1 Concerning the strategies for the purification of water contaminated with heavy metals, the use of systems based on polymer membranes has been extensively preferred due to suitable mechanical performance that these materials provide for highpressure processes and their versatility of thermal and chemical properties. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Three main approaches for fabricating polymer/ZnO fibrous membranes have been explored: (1) electrospinning of a polymer solution containing ZnO nanoparticles, 22,[25][26][27][28] (2) deposition of ZnO nanoparticles onto electrospun membranes by several methods, namely, impregnation, electrospraying, or similar techniques, [29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and in a minor extent (3) coaxial electrospinning. [2][3][4] In this context, electrohydrodynamic techniques provide excellent approaches for the design of nanofibrous polymeric membranes with tailored morphology.…”

“…[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Some membranes based on polymeric fibers containing ZnO nanoparticles have been generated by means of electrohydrodynamic techniques and applied as antimicrobial or photocatalytic materials; however, the use of this type of composite membranes for heavy metal removal has scarcely been explored. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Three main approaches for fabricating polymer/ZnO fibrous membranes have been explored: (1) electrospinning of a polymer solution containing ZnO nanoparticles, 22,[25][26][27][28] (2) deposition of ZnO nanoparticles onto electrospun membranes by several methods, namely, impregnation, electrospraying, or similar techniques, [29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and in a minor extent (3) coaxial electrospinning. In other polymeric/nanoparticles systems for antimicrobial applications, the latter approach has evidenced some advantages in terms of nanoparticles dispersion, adhesion, and cost, given that a one-pot process is used for the production of lowcost membranes by using a commodity polymer as core and special/functional polymer as sheath, among others.…”

Optimization of ZnO Nanorods Growth on Polyetheresulfone Electrospun Mats to Promote Antibacterial Properties

“…In this perspective, polymeric nanofibers are often combined with other classes of materials-i.e., inorganic nanostructures and/or organic molecules-to achieve specific deliverable highlights. Combination of polymeric mats with semiconducting oxides, as zinc oxide and titanium oxide (ZnO, TiO2), improves mats performances by adding multifunctionalities such as photocatalytic properties and sensing actions [8,9].Antibacterial properties of fibrous mats are currently under investigation [10-13] to provide innovative materials against bacteria surface contamination that causes severe infection and human health treats: in fact, microorganism colonies-responsible for biofilm formation-are developing an antibiotic resistance that makes this kind of contamination difficult to eradicate.Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are able to form biofilms [14], which represent the major causative agent of chronic and recurrent diseases [15,16]: in fact, it is estimated that more than 80% of human infections are biofilm-related [17,18]. In addition, the surfaces of commonly used prosthetic components-such as steel, titanium, and polymeric biomaterial-are susceptible to colonization of biofilm-forming bacterial species [19].…”

“…In this perspective, polymeric nanofibers are often combined with other classes of materials-i.e., inorganic nanostructures and/or organic molecules-to achieve specific deliverable highlights. Combination of polymeric mats with semiconducting oxides, as zinc oxide and titanium oxide (ZnO, TiO2), improves mats performances by adding multifunctionalities such as photocatalytic properties and sensing actions [8,9].…”