Elimination of an Endocrine Disruptive Chemical by PSf/TiO2 hybrid Membranes via Membrane Rejection and Photocatalytic Oxidation

This study reports removal of oxybenzone from TiO2 nanoparticles and those incorporated mixed matrix membrane. Polysulfone and TiO2 nanoparticles mixed matrix membrane were prepared by Diffusion Induced Phase Separation (DIPS) method. The TiO2 nanoparticles and membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy and FESEM techniques; analysis depicts 100% anatase with spherical crystallite size averaging around 17 nm. The mixed matrix membranes were used for bifunctional application, physical separation and organic degradation. The membranes were subjected to pure water flux and contact angle measurements, the influence of TiO2 were to increase the hydrophilicity of the membrane, the performance of the membrane in physical separation showed prominent results by removing oxybenzone up to 95% where as in organic degradation membrane showed 80% of degradation. The efficiency of the membrane in degradation was more prominent as compared to bare TiO2 nanoparticles. The TiO2 nanoparticles show around 70% of degradation, whereas, the bifunctionality of the membranes showed more prominence in removal of complete oxybenzone.