Fabrication of porous Fe2O3/PTFE nanofiber membranes and their application as a catalyst for dye degradation

Abstract

Novel porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanofiber membranes containing Fe₂O₃ (Fe₂O₃/PTFE), used as a heterogeneous catalyst, were prepared via a three-step method by electrospinning, immersion and calcination. The morphology and structure of porous Fe₂O₃/PTFE were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The effects of the thickness of the as-spun nanofiber membrane, the immersion time and impregnating solution concentration on the content of Fe₂O₃ which was the active component were discussed. The degradation of Acid Red with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by the porous Fe₂O₃/PTFE under UV irradiation was investigated. UV-vis and ESR techniques provided an insight into the nature of the degradation products and the formed active species. The results showed that Fe₂O₃ was successfully supported on the surface of porous PTFE nanofibers. The porous Fe₂O₃/PTFE nanofiber membrane prepared under the optimized parameters possessed high photocatalytic activity without any dye adsorption and could be recycled by simple filtration.