MWCNTs Decorated with TiO2 as Highly Performing Filler in the Preparation of Nanocomposite Membranes for Scalable Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water

Antonio Tursi; Amerigo Beneduci; Isabella Nicotera; Cataldo Simari

doi:10.3390/nano13162325

MWCNTs Decorated with TiO₂ as Highly Performing Filler in the Preparation of Nanocomposite Membranes for Scalable Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A in Water

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2023 Aug 13;13(16):2325. doi: 10.3390/nano13162325.

Authors

Antonio Tursi¹, Amerigo Beneduci^{1

2}, Isabella Nicotera^{1

3}, Cataldo Simari^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 15D, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
² SIRiA S.r.l.-Servizi Integrati e Ricerche per l'Ambiente, c/o Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, Spin-Off of the University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 15D, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
³ National Reference Centre for Electrochemical Energy Storage (GISEL)-INSTM, Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy.

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting compound with estrogenic behavior, is of great concern within the scientific community due to its high production levels and increasing concentration in various surface aquifers. While several materials exhibit excellent capacity for the photocatalytic degradation of BPA, their powdered nature and poor chemical stability render them unsuitable for practical application in large-scale water decontamination. In this study, a new class of nanocomposite membranes based on sulfonated polyethersulfone (sPES) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with TiO₂ nanoparticles (MWCNTs-TiO₂) were investigated as efficient and scalable photocatalysts for the photodegradation of BPA in aqueous solutions. The MWCNTs-TiO₂ hybrid material was prepared through a facile and inexpensive hydrothermal method and extensively characterized by XRD, Raman, FTIR, BET, and TGA. Meanwhile, nanocomposite membranes at different filler loadings were prepared by a simple casting procedure. Swelling tests and PFG NMR analyses provided insights into the impact of filler introduction on membrane hydrophilicity and water molecular dynamics, whereas the effectiveness of the various photocatalysts in BPA removal was monitored using HPLC. Among the different MWCNTs-TiO₂ content nanocomposites, the one at 10 wt% loading (sP-MT₁₀) showed the best photoactivity. Under UV irradiation at 254 nm and 365 nm for 240 min, photocatalytic oxidation of 5 mg/L bisphenol A by sP-MT₁₀ resulted in 91% and 82% degradation, respectively. Both the effect of BPA concentration and the membrane regenerability were evaluated, revealing that the sP-MT₁₀ maintained its maximum BPA removal capability over more than 10 cycles. Our findings indicate that sP-MT nanocomposite membranes are versatile, scalable, efficient, and highly reusable photocatalysts for the degradation of BPA, as well as potentially for other endocrine disruptors.

Keywords: MWCNTs-TiO2 hybrid; bisphenol A (BPA) removal; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; nanocomposite membranes; visible-light photodegradation; wastewater treatment.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.