Electrospinning of Calixarene-Functionalized Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Membranes and Application as an Adsorbent and Catalyst Support

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes functionalized with calix[8]arenes (C[8]) were successfully prepared by electrospinning of PAN solutions with addition of various calixarenes. Uniform electrospun C[8]/PAN nanofibers were obtained by incorporating three types of calix[8]arenes into the PAN matrix and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The SEM results showed that the addition of calix[8]arenes resulted in a decrease in the diameter of PAN nanofibers. Static adsorption behavior was studied by using C[8]/PAN nanofibers as an adsorbent and Congo red and Neutral red as model dye molecules. The adsorption of Congo red onto Amide-Cal[8]-15/PAN nanofibers fitted the second-order kinetic model, and the apparent adsorption rate constant was 1.1 × 10–3 g·mg–1·min–1 at 25 °C. Then, by virtue of electrostatic attraction, as-prepared Au nanoparticles were immobilized on Amide-Cal[8]/PAN nanofibers to form Au/Amide-Cal[8]/PAN composite nanofibers. The catalytic activity of the as-prepared Au/Amide-Cal[8]/PAN composite nanofibers was investigated by monitoring the reduction of Congo red in the presence of NaBH4. The reduction kinetics was explained by the assumption of a pseudo-first-order reaction with regard to Congo red. Au/Amide-Cal[8]/PAN composite nanofibers exhibited high catalytic activity, excellent stability, and convenient recycling.