Amine-modified silica-cellulose acetate nanofiber membranes for effective removal of hardness and heavy metals in drinking water

 Senuri Kumarage¹, Imalka Munaweera¹ , Laksiri Weerasinghe¹, Chanaka Sandaruwan², Nilwala Kottegoda¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.

²Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC),Nanotechnology and Science Park, Mahenwatte, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka

 

With the increasing urbanisation and population growth, the water scarcity has become a global challenge. Water hardness and heavy metal pollution are important factors that influence water quality.

Silica nanoparticles have gained the interest of researchers for their multidisciplinary role due to the presence of high surface area, high porosity, nanoscale features and ability for facile functionalization. Amine functionalized Silica Nps (AMS)  have an unwavering capability to purify water by adsorbing  ion contaminants due to the synergistic effect of its high surface area, porosity and  the presence of amine functional groups.

Electrospinning the nanoparticles into the biodegradable nanofibers prevents aggregation of NPs and thus increases interaction with ions, resulting in improved removal. The high aspect ratio of the nanofibers allows the accommodation of a higher number of functionalized nanoparticles blended into the polymer leading to enhanced adsorbent sites. Furthermore, it facilitates the recovery of nanoparticles from water samples and synergistically improves ion adsorption via electrostatic interactions with its functional groups.

Contributing to the UN's 6th sustainable goal of clean water and sanitation, this work involves the development of efficient and convenient approach of water purification by integrating amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles (AMS NPs) into cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun nanofiber membranes.