Stereocomplex Crystallite-Based Eco-Friendly NanofiberMembranes for Removal of Cr(VI) and Antibacterial Effects

Poly (lactic acid) stereocomplex crystallites (SC)-based electrospun nanofibers were fabricated via annealing as-spun membranes at 100 °C for 1h. The heat-treated nanofibers perform enhanced mechanical properties and thermal resistance due to the existence of SC, which restricts the lactide chains mobility. The formation of SC increases the intermolecular forces between L-lactide and D-lactide segments, causing almost 2 times higher tensile strength (8.520.29 MPa) and 3 times higher Young’s modulus (285.481.19 MPa) than that of the untreated membranes, which is benefit for wider applications. Additionally, a green absorbent named HTA synthesized from tannic acid (TA) and hexamethylenediamine (HA) was introduced into the nanofibers, giving the membrane richer functions. Based on the abundant reactive functional groups on the surface, small pore size and large surface area-to-volume ratio of nanofibers, the HTA-containing membranes exhibited excellent performance in adsorbing heavy metal ions and inhibiti...