Functionalized Electrospun Fibrous Membranes as Effective Adsorbents for Benzoic Acid from Aqueous Media

The contamination of water as a consequence of extensive industrial and domestic activities results to severe environmental disruption. In this study functionalized, polymer-based electrospun microfibrous membranes were used as adsorbents for the removal of aromatic organic contaminants from aqueous media. More precisely, two types of random copolymers having aromatic and cationic groups, were synthesized by free radical polymerization: Poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly((2-diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-co-PDEAEMA) and poly(benzyl methacrylate)-poly((2-diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PBzMA-co-PDEAEMA). Microfibrous membranes were successfully prepared upon blending the aforementioned copolymers with a commercially available poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) followed by electrospinning. The produced materials were characterized in respect to their morphology and thermal properties and they were further evaluated as adsorbents for benzoic acid (BzA) employed as a model organic contaminant. The BzA removal was monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometry. The highest BzA removal efficiency was observed when PBzMA(1)-co-PDEAEMA(0.8)/PMMA microfibrous membrane containing BzMA aromatic moieties and the highest PDEAEMA content was used as an adsorbent, thus indicating the significance of aromatic and electrostatic interactions developed between the fibrous adsorbent and the aromatic pollutant in the adsorption efficiency.