Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose Acetate/Polyethylene Glycol/Poly(Styrene)-b-Poly(4-Vinylpyridine)...

This study investigated the properties of a novel polymeric membrane based on cellulose acetate, polyethylene glycol/poly(styrene)-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine), and embedded with TiO₂ nanoparticles (CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁/TiO₂ membrane) obtained by wet-phase inversion method. The TiO₂ nanoparticles fabricated by a hydrothermal method were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, and UV-Vis analyses to determine the purity, morphology, and optical band gap energy. The prepared polymeric membranes with and without TiO₂ nanoparticles (CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁/TiO₂ and CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁ membranes) were characterized by FTIR, SEM, EDXS, and TGA to observe the effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles added to the polymeric membrane matrix and to analyze the chemical structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the obtained polymeric membranes. The contact angle, SFE, water retention, and porosity were also determined. The results showed that adding the TiO₂ nanoparticles into the polymeric membrane (CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁/TiO₂) significantly reduced the pore size and the water contact angle, increasing the water retention and the porosity. The lower value of the water contact angle of 15.57 ± 0.45° for the CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁/TiO₂ membrane indicates a pronounced hydrophilic character. The investigations performed showed that the CA/PEG/PS₁₅₄-b-P4VP₃₈₁/TiO₂ membrane presents excellent properties and can be a promising material for water and waste-water treatment through membrane processes (e.g., electrodialysis, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis) in the future.