Robust preparation of catalytic PEI@FeOOH fiber membrane for efficient dye degradation

The construction of catalytic membranes with excellent catalytic efficiency and stability has become a desirable strategy for the treatment of refractory organic wastewater. In this work, polyetherimide/hydroxyl iron oxide catalyst (PEI@FeOOH) catalytic membrane with high performance was developed by of electrospinning and in-situ growth methods for reduction of methyl orange (MO). The immobilization of FeOOH by PEI nanofiber membrane could realize dynamic Fenton catalysis. In the presence of H2O2 (0.62 mM), the PEI@FeOOH catalytic membrane could remove 90 % MO after 4 h, which was much higher than that under static catalysis. This was mainly because that the change of catalytic mode decreased the apparent activation energy of catalysis reaction. Furthermore, the PEI@FeOOH membrane also exhibited good catalytic performance for orange G, methylene blue, phenol and iprofloxacin antibiotics, and excellent reusability. More importantly, benefit from the light absorption property of FeOOH, the PEI@FeOOH membrane exhibited superior catalytic performance in static process when the simulated sunlight was introduced. The synergistic effect of Fenton process and photo-catalysis made the catalytic performance of membrane even higher than that of dynamic Fenton process, providing guidance for dye wastewater treatment.