@misc{10481/88217,
year = {2015},
month = {6},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/88217},
abstract = {Flat sheet ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with photocatalytic properties were prepared with lab-made TiO2 and graphene oxide-TiO2 (GOT), and also with a reference TiO2 photocatalyst from Evonik (P25). These membranes were tested in continuous operation mode for the degradation and mineralization of a pharmaceutical compound, diphenhydramine (DP), and an organic dye, methyl orange (MO), under both near-UV/Vis and visible light irradiation. The effect of NaCl was investigated considering simulated brackish water (NaCl 0.5 g L−1) and simulated seawater (NaCl 35 g L−1). The results indicated that the membranes prepared with the GOT composite (M-GOT) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, outperforming those prepared with bare TiO2 (M−TiO2) and P25 (M-P25), both inactive under visible light illumination. The best performance of M-GOT may be due to the lower band-gap energy (2.9 eV) of GOT. In general, the permeate flux was also higher for M-GOT probably due to a combined effect of its highest photocatalytic activity, highest hydrophilicity (contact angles of 11°, 17° and 18° for M-GOT, M−TiO2 and M-P25, respectively) and higher porosity (71%). The presence of NaCl had a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the membranes, since chloride anions can act as hole and hydroxyl radical scavengers, but it did not affect the catalytic stability of these membranes. A hierarchically ordered membrane was also prepared by intercalating a freestanding GO membrane in the structure of the M-GOT membrane (M-GO/GOT). The results showed considerably higher pollutant removal in darkness and good photocatalytic activity under near-UV/Vis and visible light irradiation in continuous mode experiments.},
organization = {Financial support for this work was provided by project NORTE-07-0202-FEDER-038900 (NEPCAT), financed by FEDER (Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional) through ON2 (Programa Operacional do Norte) and QREN, and by project PTDC/AAC-AMB/122312/2010, co-financed by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) and FEDER through Programme COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-019503). This work was partially co-financed by FCT/MEC and FEDER under Programe PT2020 (Project UID/EQU/50020/2013), and by QREN, ON2 and FEDER through project NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000015. LMPM and SMT acknowledge financial support from FCT grants SFRH/BPD/88964/2012 and SFRH/BPD/74239/2010, respectively. AMTS acknowledges the FCT Investigator 2013 Programme (IF/01501/2013), with financing from the European Social Fund and the Human Potential Operational Programme. Technical assistance by Dr. Carlos Sá and CEMUP team with SEM analysis is gratefully acknowledged.},
publisher = {Elsevier},
title = {Graphene oxide based ultrafiltration membranes for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in salty water},
doi = {10.1016/j.watres.2015.03.014},
author = {Pastrana Martínez, Luisa María and Morales Torres, Sergio and Figueiredo, José L. and Faria, Joaquim L. and Silva, Adrián M.T.},
}