Efficient Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals from Water by Electrospun Nanofibrous Polycyclodextrin Membranes

Here, a highly efficient membrane based on electrospun polycyclodextrin (poly-CD) nanofibers was prepared and exploited for the scavenging of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals from water. The poly-CD nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of CD molecules in the presence of a cross-linker (i.e., 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid), followed by heat treatment to obtain an insoluble poly-CD nanofibrous membrane. The membrane was used for the removal of several PAH compounds (i.e., acenaphthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) and heavy metals (i.e., Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+) from water over time. Experiments were made on the batch sorption of PAHs and heavy metals from contaminated water to explore the binding affinity of PAHs and heavy metals to the poly-CD membrane. The equilibrium sorption capacity (qe) of the poly-CD nanofibrous membrane was found to be 0.43 ± 0.045 mg/g for PAHs and 4.54 ± 0.063 mg/g for heavy metals, and the sorpti...