A blend of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) and SiO₂ microspheres in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) underwent phase inversion to form a PVDF/SiO₂ membrane with SiO₂ microspheres in the membrane's pores. Subsequently, the SiO₂ microspheres have been used as platforms for in site Ag nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis, forming a composite membrane. Benefitting from the full exposure of Ag NPs to the reactants, the composite membrane shows high catalytic reactivity when catalyzing the reduction of p-nitrophenol under a cross-flow. The catalytic reaction follows the first-order kinetics, and the reaction rate increases with an increase in the amount of Ag NPs in the membrane, the reaction temperature, and the operating pressure. What is more, highly purified products can be produced and separated from the reactants in a timely manner by using the composite membrane.
Keywords: Ag nanoparticles; SiO2 microspheres; catalysis; composite membrane; separation.