Synthesis, characterization, and application of ZIF-8/Ag3PO4, MoS2/Ag3PO4, and h-BN/Ag3PO4 based photocatalytic nanocomposite polyvinylidene fluoride mixed matrix membranes for effective removal of drimaren orange P2R

The ZIF-8/Ag3PO4/PVDF, MoS2/Ag3PO4/PVDF, and h-BN/Ag3PO4/PVDF mixed matrix photocatalytic porous membranes are prepared using phase inversion process for the effective removal of pollutants and drimaren orange P2R dye from textile wastewater. The ATR-FTIR analysis is used to investigate the chemical composition of the photocatalytic membranes. The XRD analysis is used to investigate the crystal phase and crystallinity of nanoparticles. The morphology and uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in photocatalytic mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are studied by FE-SEM and AFM analyses. According to the water contact angle (WCA), it is found that the modified membranes are more hydrophilic than pure PVDF membranes. The tensile strength and elongation at break are used to investigate the mechanical properties of MMMs. Photocatalytic MMMs are showing superior mechanical strength compared to pure PVDF membranes. The h-BN/Ag3PO4/PVDF photocatalytic membrane removes drimaren orange P2R dye up to 98%, which is higher than other membranes. In addition, the photocatalytic membranes have a high flux recovery ratio of about 93.2% and good antifouling performance. The photocatalytic membranes based on ZIF-8, MoS2, and h-BN show good photocatalytic stability and prevent photocorrosion of Ag3PO4 photocatalyst. In the degradation of contaminants and dye, the photocatalytic membranes completely control the recombination of h+ and ·O2‾. Using photocatalytic MMMs, COD and TSS removal are obtained as 93.3% and 99%, respectively. The h-BN/Ag3PO4/PVDF photocatalytic membranes are found to be more effective for dye removal from textile industry wastewater and have great potential for future work.