Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B using CaCu3Ti4O12 embedded polyethersulfone hollow fiber membrane

In this study, CaCu3Ti4O12(CCTO) modified polyethersulfone (PES) HF membranes were prepared via drywet phase inversion by adding different concentration of CCTO particles (0-4 wt.%) in the dope solution. The synthesized PES/CCTO composites were characterized by viscosity measurement, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, contact angle, pore size, and pore size distribution. The flux and the photocatalytic activity of CCTO entrapped PES membranes were subsequently evaluated by crossflow ultrafiltration and the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV irradiation, respectively. The pure water permeability of the composite membranes improved considerably upon the addition of CCTO owing to its slightly improved hydrophilicity and moderate pore size. The results also show that the PES/CCTO composite exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity, which was mainly attributed due to the crystallite size of CCTO particles. (C) 2019 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.