CQDs/Au NPs Modified Polysulfone Membrane with Antibacterial Function and Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Methylene Blue

Herein, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized and deposited on the surface of Polysulfone (PSF) membrane using polydopamine as the sublayer, resulting in excellent antibacterial property and photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic dyes. Water contact angle (WCA) of the membrane before and after surface modification dropped from 9 3 . 9 ∘ to 5 8 . 4 ∘ , due to outstanding hydrophilicity of CQDs. The antibacterial test against E . c o l i found that the CQDs/Au NPs were beneficial to improve the antibacterial property of the membrane, and the antibacterial rate could reach 90%, effectively prolonging the service life of the membrane. In addition, the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules on the membrane was significantly reduced, and the irreversible fouling ratio also decreased from 41.3% to 10.7%. On the other hand, the CQDs/Au NPs layer was used as a photocatalytic material for degradation of methylene blue.