Application of Silver-Loaded Composite Track-Etched Membranes for Photocatalytic Decomposition of Methylene Blue under Visible Light

Abstract

In this study, the use of composite track-etched membranes (TeMs) based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and electrolessly deposited silver microtubes (MTs) for the decomposition of toxic phenothiazine cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), under visible light was investigated. The structure and composition of the composite membranes were elucidated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction technique. Under visible light irradiation, composite membrane with embedded silver MTs (Ag/PET) displayed high photocatalytic efficiency. The effects of various parameters such as initial dye concentration, temperature, and sample exposure time on the photocatalytic degradation process were studied. The decomposition reaction of MB was found to follow the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism and a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The degradation kinetics of MB accelerated with increasing temperature and activation energy, Ea, was calculated to be 20.6 kJ/mol. The reusability of the catalyst was also investigated for 11 consecutive runs without any activation and regeneration procedures. The Ag/PET composite performed at high degradation efficiency of over 68% after 11 consecutive uses.

A Novel Cu2O/ZnO@PET Composite Membrane for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Carbendazim

“…In our previous studies, composite TeMs based on metals of the copper subgroup demonstrated high catalytic activity in various reactions types in both batch and flow-through modes [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. For example, Ag/PET composites have proven to be effective photocatalysts for the removal of methylene blue dye [ 38 ], while CuO-based MTs have been shown to exhibit high efficiency in the sorption of As(III) ions [ 34 , 39 ]. Some important advantages of such catalysts and sorbents are their ease of use, low cost and ease of production, as well as the possibility for multiple reuses without additional activation and regeneration procedures, as shown in previous studies [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Kinetic and Isotherm Study of As(III) Removal from Aqueous Solution by PET Track-Etched Membranes Loaded with Copper Microtubes

“…Nowadays, TeMs are used as filtration membranes for water purification [20,21] or effective adsorbents and are commercially available. Combining the inherent advantages of TeMs and metal nanostructures provides composite membranes that are excellent candidates in a variety of promising material science applications, such as biotechnology [22,23], catalysis [24][25][26][27][28], medicine [29,30], sensors [21,31], and radiation resistive and magnetic materials [32,33]. In our previous study, we created Cu/CuO in the nanochannels and surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) TeMs by electroless template-assisted deposition of copper and subsequent low-temperature annealing process.…”

Hybrid PET Track-Etched Membranes Grafted by Well-Defined Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) Brushes and Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles for the Removal of As(III)

“…TeMs have a unique pore structure that offers the smallest tolerances regarding pore diameter and density compared with alternative porous membranes in the literature. The two-step process applied in their preparation (bombardment with accelerated heavy ions and subsequent chemical etching) allows them to precisely target specific requirements regarding the size and density of the nanochannels, which affect surface area, a key focus of absorption studies [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”