“Fabrication of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Decorated Sepiolite-Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Cleanup

The contamination of natural water bodies with heavy metals and bacteria is a global issue. In this study, cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) and silver oxide (Ag 2 O) nanoparticles were separately immobilized onto the pristine sepiolite (Sep) to develop Cu 2 O@Sep and Ag 2 O@Sep, respectively. The pristine Sep, Cu 2 O@Sep, and Ag 2 O@Sep were separately added into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for fabrication of three sets of nanocomposite membranes. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a crosslinker to enhance the stability of nanocomposite membranes. Mechanical properties of nanocomposite membranes demonstrated a remarkable increase as compared to pure PVA. The Cu 2 O@Sep and Ag 2 O@Sep containing nanocomposite membranes showed potent antibacterial properties by inhibiting the growth of S. aureus (3.15x 10 6 CFU/mL) and E. coli (2 x 10 6 CFU/mL) for consecutive three cycles. The Cu 2 O@Sep containing nanocomposite membrane demonstrated good Cr (VI) adsorption capacity (134 mg/g). The nanocomposite membranes exhibited outstanding regeneration properties. Thus, the developed nanocomposite membranes further expand the prospects of using this technology for the development of the decentralized water treatment systems