Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole and Enrofloxacin in Water Using Electrospun Composite Photocatalytic Membrane

Abstract

Photocatalysis has emerged as a promising technology for the removal of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics from water. Fixing photocatalytic materials on polymers to prepare applicable membranes is a feasible method for applying photocatalysis. This study explored the preparation of composite PAN-TiO2 and PAN-TiO2-rGO (PAN-rGTi) photocatalytic membranes by combining TiO2, TiO2-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) using electrospinning. Characterization through SEM and EDS analysis confirms the composite membrane’s microstructure and elemental composition. The electrospun PAN-TiO2 and PAN-rGTi composite membranes exhibit a stable and efficient photocatalytic performance in degrading sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and enrofloxacin (ENR), two typical antibiotics commonly found in water bodies. Photocatalytic degradation experiments under simulated solar light reveal the superior performance of the composite photocatalytic membranes compared to PAN alone, with a notable increase in the reaction rate constants of PAN-TiO2 (1.8 to 2.2 times for SMX and 3.2 to 4.0 times for ENR) and even higher enhancements for PAN-rGTi (2.8 to 3.0 times for SMX and 5.4 to 6.5 times for ENR) compared to PAN alone. Despite minor decreases (from 97.6% to 90.4%) in activity over five cycles, the photocatalytic composite membranes remain effective, showcasing their stability and recyclability. This study highlights the potential application of PAN-TiO2 and PAN-rGTi composite membranes as sustainable and effective materials for removing emerging contaminants from water. Further exploration should focus on optimizing materials for specific emerging contaminants and improving their application feasibility for wastewater and water treatment and water purification in water bodies.