Photocatalytic oil-water separation membranes are critical for addressing water pollution and energy sustainability, but their widespread application is hindered by membrane fouling and limited photocatalytic efficiency, primarily caused by hydrophobic substrates and photocatalysts aggregation. To overcome these challenges, we designed a novel membrane integrating amphiphilic polyurethane (PU) and hydrophilic TiO2/modified carbon dots (MCD) into a functional polyarylene ether amidoxime (PEA) matrix via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). The TiO2/MCD photocatalysts exhibited a reduced bandgap of 2.86 eV and uniform dispersion with an average particle size of 40 nm. The optimized PEA-PU-3T/M membrane possessed a hierarchical pore structure with a maximum porosity of 84.7 % and enhanced surface hydrophilicity with a water contact angle of 22 degrees. Furthermore, the resultant membrane demonstrated a water flux of 968 L center dot m(-2)center dot h(-1) and 98.8 % emulsion separation efficiency. Importantly, its photocatalytic performance achieved 94.2 % and 99.1 % removal rates for methylene blue and rhodamine B, respectively. These enhanced performances were attributed to the amphiphilic PU-assisted uniform dispersion of hydrophilic TiO2/MCD hybrids, as well as the adequate interaction between the hybrids and the functional PEA. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the development of innovative photocatalytic oil-water separation membranes for the remediation of complex wastewater containing dyes and oils.
基金:
National Natural Science Foundation of China [22375030, 52173068]; Science and Technology Program of Sichuan Province [2024YFHZ0237, TB2024001]; Science and Technology Program of Ji'an [2024H-100219]