Despite significant progress in the synthesis of nanocomposite materials, integration of several components with various functions remains a big challenge, which significantly limits control over nanocomposite properties. We have developed photocatalytic microsponges based on incorporation of titania nanoparticles into porous polylactic acid (PLA) matrices for environmentally friendly water purification, which is depicted in Figure 1. These hybrid macroparticles are designed to effectively absorb organic impurities from water followed by their degradation. PLA is used as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer and has been widely utilized for applications in delivery and bone graft scaffolds. Titania nanoparticles represent photocatalytically active nanofillers capable of degradation of organic compounds under solar irradiation. Titania nanoparticles are integrated with PLA by using ‘as mixed’ and ‘in-situ grown’ approaches. We found that the hybrid systems effectively absorbed and degraded organic impurities such as Rhodamine 6G from water. We also demonstrated that the sorption capacity, dye degradability, and PLA disintegration were controlled by varying concentration of incorporated titania. The hybrid degradable systems can be applied as novel non-toxic photocatalytic materials for environmental cleanup of contaminated waters.

Polyester-based photocatalytic nanocomposite microsponges for water treatment

254th National Meeting (2017)

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