Preparation and Properties of BC/PPy/TiO2 Composite Membrane

Bacterial cellulose (BC) /Polypyrrole (PPy) /TiO2 composite membrane was successfully prepared by in situ chemical oxidation polymerization of pyrrole in TiO2 sol into BC membrane matrix with different concentration of TiO2. The results of the field emission scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the TiO2 nanoparticles coated with PPy were well homogeneously dispersed in the BC matrix. The photocatalytic activity of composite membrane was measured by methyl orange reaction model. Furthermore, the chemical structure of composite membrane and the anatase-TiO2 crystal structure were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and XRD analysis, respectively. According to this study, the photocatalytic activity of composite membranes was improved significantly by the addition of TiO2 due to the synergistic reaction between TiO2 and PPy. Besides that, the membrane exhibited the striking flexibility and mechanical properties. This study provided a green and facile method to prepare the BC /PPy /TiO2 composite membrane which would have potential applications in wastewater treatment.