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 H 2 O 2 (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 .