Facile Preparation of PVDF/CoFe2O4-ZnO Hybrid Membranes for Water Depollution

Adriana Popa; Maria Stefan; Sergiu Macavei; Ioana Perhaita; Lucian Barbu Tudoran; Dana Toloman

doi:10.3390/polym15234547

Facile Preparation of PVDF/CoFe₂O₄-ZnO Hybrid Membranes for Water Depollution

Polymers (Basel). 2023 Nov 27;15(23):4547. doi: 10.3390/polym15234547.

Authors

Adriana Popa¹, Maria Stefan¹, Sergiu Macavei¹, Ioana Perhaita², Lucian Barbu Tudoran¹, Dana Toloman¹

Affiliations

¹ National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
² Raluca Ripan Institute for Research in Chemistry, Babes Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Abstract

In this investigation, CoFe₂O₄-PVDF and CoFe₂O₄-ZnO-PVDF hybrid membranes were prepared using a modified phase inversion method in which a magnetic field was applied during the casting process to ensure a uniform distribution of nanomaterials on the membrane surface. Thus, better absorption of light and increased participation of nanoparticles in the photodegradation process is ensured. The influence of nanomaterials on the crystalline structure, surface morphology, and hydrophilicity properties of the PVDF membrane was investigated. The obtained results indicated that the hybrid membrane exhibited significant differences in its intrinsic properties due to the nanomaterials addition. The hydrophilicity properties of the PVDF membrane were improved by the presence of nanoparticles. The photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous Rhodamine B solution in the presence of the prepared membrane and under visible light irradiation was tested. The hybrid membrane containing CoFe₂O₄-ZnO on its surface exhibited a high removal rate.

Keywords: CoFe2O4-ZnO composite nanoparticles; PVDF membrane; Rhodamine B dye; magnetic field; photodegradation.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.