Enhanced catalytic degradation of 4-NP using a superhydrophilic PVDF membrane decorated with Au nanoparticles

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes have been widely applied to treat wastewater, however, the removal of toxic aromatic phenolic compounds remains a technical challenge due to the serious adsorption fouling and difficult degradation. Herein, we aimed to design a superhydrophilic PVDF membrane decorated with Au nanoparticles, which enhanced the rapid degradation of p-nitrophenol (4-NP). The superhydrophilic PVDF membrane with a micro/nano structured surface was decorated with Au nanoparticles via poly(dopamine) (PDA) as a spacer. The influences of membrane affinity (e.g. Hydrophilic Membrane (HM), micro/nano structured superhydrophilic membrane (MSiM), and micro/nano structured superhydrophobic membrane (MSoM)) on PDA deposition and the subsequent Au decoration were comprehensively investigated. The synthesized Au nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis absorption spectra. The morphology and composition was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Static catalytic experiments demonstrated that MSiM degraded over 90% of 4-NP in 5 minutes with a kinetic reaction rate constant of 47.84 x 10(-2) min(-1) and high stability over 6 cycles. A membrane catalytic reactor (MCR) was designed to realize the continuous catalytic degradation of 4-NP with a kinetic reaction rate constant of 7 x 10(-2) min(-1).