Electrospun composite nanofibers as novel high-performance and visible-light photocatalysts for removal of environmental pollutants: A review

Shadi Asgari; Ghodsi Mohammadi Ziarani; Alireza Badiei; Fatemeh Ajalloueian; Yasser Vasseghian

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114296

Electrospun composite nanofibers as novel high-performance and visible-light photocatalysts for removal of environmental pollutants: A review

Environ Res. 2022 Dec;215(Pt 2):114296. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114296. Epub 2022 Sep 16.

Authors

Shadi Asgari¹, Ghodsi Mohammadi Ziarani², Alireza Badiei³, Fatemeh Ajalloueian⁴, Yasser Vasseghian⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Alzahra University, P.O. Box 1993893973, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Alzahra University, P.O. Box 1993893973, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: gmohammadi@alzahra.ac.ir.
³ School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, 2800, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Soongsil University, Seoul, 06978, South Korea; Department of Sustainable Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India; The University of Johannesburg, Department of Chemical Engineering, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, 2088, South Africa. Electronic address: vasseghian@ssu.ac.kr.

PMID: 36116501
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114296

Abstract

Environmental pollution caused by industries and human manipulations is coming a serious global challenge. On the other hand, the world is facing an energy crisis caused by population growth. Designing solar-driven photocatalysts which are inspired by the photosynthesis of plant leaves is a fantastic solution to use solar energy as green, available, and unlimited energy containing ∼50% visible light for the removal of environmental pollutants. The polymeric and non-polymeric-based electrospun composite nanofibers (NFs) are as innovative photocatalytic candidates which increase photocatalytic activity and transition from UV light to visible light and overcome the aggregation, photocorrosion, toxicity, and hard recycling and separation of the nanosized powder form of photocatalysts. The composite NFs are fabricated easily by either embedding the photocatalytic agents into the NFs during electrospinning or via their decorating on the surface of NFs post-electrospinning. Polyacrylonitrile-based, tungsten trioxide-based, zinc oxide-based, and titanium dioxide-based composite NFs were revealed as the most reported composite NFs. All the lately investigated electrospun composite NFs indicated long-term stability, high photocatalytic efficiency (∼> 80%) within a short time of light radiation (10-430 min), and high stability after several cycles of use. They were applied in various applications including degradation of dyes/antibiotics, water splitting, wastewater treatment, antibacterial usage, etc. The photogenerated species especially holes, O₂^∙-, and ^.OH were mostly responsible for the photocatalytic mechanism and pathway. The electrospun composite NFs have the potential to use in large-scale productions in condition that their thickness and recycling conditions are optimized, and their toxicity and detaching are resolved.

Keywords: Electrospun composite nanofibers; High-performance photocatalyst; Polymeric/non-polymeric-based; Solar energy; Visible-light photocatalyst.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Catalysis
Coloring Agents
Environmental Pollutants*
Humans
Nanofibers*
Powders
Ultraviolet Rays
Water
Zinc Oxide*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Coloring Agents
Environmental Pollutants
Powders
Water
Zinc Oxide