Electrospinner: Research progress on adsorption and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from aqueous solutions by electrospun metal oxide-based composite nanofibers

Research background

Water pollution problem: Heavy metals and metalloids in water, such as zinc, manganese, cobalt, copper, iron, etc., may cause harm to biological activities even in trace amounts, increase the density and toxicity of water.

Electrospinning technology: Electrospinning is selected to synthesize metal oxide-based adsorbent materials because the prepared nanofibers have a high surface area to volume ratio and controllable porosity, which improves the adsorption efficiency.

Technical advantages: Electrospinning technology can produce nanofibers with excellent mechanical strength and flexibility, which are suitable for various filtration applications.

Abstract

Review content: The preparation technology, morphological characteristics and functional properties of electrospun metal oxide-based composite nanofibers are reviewed, with an emphasis on their application in wastewater treatment.

Challenges: Electrospinning has difficulties in producing inorganic nanofibers, and the number or types of polymers used in the process are limited.

Analysis

Technical potential: Electrospinning metal oxide-based composite nanofibers show great potential in the adsorption and removal of pollutants from water due to their high surface area and controllable porosity.

Key factors: The key factors affecting its effectiveness include high surface area to volume ratio, adjustable pore structure and surface functionalization capability.

Adsorption mechanism: The adsorption mechanism involves physical and chemical interactions such as van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, coordination, ion exchange, etc.

Challenges and optimization: Current research lacks optimization of electrospinning parameters for specific organic and inorganic pollutants, limiting the adsorption efficiency. In addition, the long-term stability, reusability and environmental impact of used nanofibers have not been fully studied.

Scaling up electrospinning in practical water treatment applications remains a challenge and needs to be addressed for cost-effective, large-scale implementation.

Conclusion

Enhanced adsorption: The ability to customize the structure and composition of nanofibers significantly improves their adsorption efficiency for a wide range of pollutants.

Effect of parameters: Electrospinning parameters have a significant impact on the morphology, diameter, surface area and porosity of nanofibers, which are critical for optimizing adsorption performance.

Mechanistic observations: Understanding the adsorption mechanism of composite nanofibers can help better design and functionalize composite nanofibers and improve their effectiveness in environmental remediation.

Future Challenges: The technology faces difficulties in producing inorganic nanofibers and limited choices of polymers, which pose challenges for scalability and commercial applications.

Future Directions: Further research is needed to improve the performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of these nanofibers to advance their practical applications in water treatment.