Construction and performance of composite nanoporous PVDF membrane loaded with TiO2-based catalysts for organic pollutants’ removal

Membrane separation is one of the most effective ways to remove organic dyes in wastewater. Rationally regulating the pore size of separation membranes would contribute to great performance. However, membranes with a uniform pore structure make it difficult to simultaneously realize high flux and excellent rejection ratio. Herein, functional composite nanoporous fiber membrane material with visible-light-driven self-cleaning performance was constructed by spinning hypercrosslinked polystyrene nanoparticles (HCPNPs) and TiO 2 -based catalysts into the electrospun membrane of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The composited fiber membrane with a hierarchical pore structure exhibits unique performances: excellent adsorption capacity for organic dyes, reaching 12 mg·g −1 (methylene blue), respectively, extraordinary high photocatalytic degradation rate (up to 99%) and gorgeous cycle degradation performance for MB (degradation rate is maintained at 95% after five cycles), and excellent comprehensive performance for the removal of extensive pollutant library including organic dye, and antibiotic pollutant. Therefore, coupled with facile and economical synthesis, we provide a novel idea for advanced membrane construction, which has the potential to be widely used for organic pollutants’ removal in sewage treatment. Graphical abstract