Fabrication of eco-friendly nanofibrous membranes functionalized with carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin for efficient removal of methylene blue with good recyclability

Considering the excellent thermo-mechanical properties, chemical stability and low cost of biodegradable aliphatic–aromatic copolyesters, they are an ideal matrix when functionalized for capturing pollutants in wastewater. In this work, biodegradable poly((butylene succinate-co-terephthalate)-co-serinol terephthalate) (PBSST) copolyesters with amino side group (–NH2) were first synthesized through copolymerization, followed by grafting carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) into PBSST molecular chains via amidation reaction to prepare PBSST-g-β-CD. The corresponding nanofibrous membranes were then fabricated by electrospinning as adsorbents for efficiently removing cationic dye methyl blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption performance of the nanofibrous membranes was fitted well with pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity was 543.48 mg g−1 for MB along with a removal efficiency of 98% after five regeneration cycles, indicating the high adsorption capacity and good recyclability of nanofibrous membranes. The adsorbents possess features of high adsorption capacity, eco-friendliness and easy operation, and exhibit great potential for disposing of printing-dying wastewater.