Dye adsorption and antimicrobial performances of composite nanofiber membranes containing cuprammonium cellulose

This research presents a novel and efficient process for Congo Ced (CR) dye removal together with exceptional antimicrobial performance using a dual-functional composite membrane. The membrane fabrication involves the electro-spun infusion of cuprammonium cellulose solution with polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in a conjugated fashion. The composite membrane exhibits 94.0 % dye removal capability and 41 mg/g adsorption capacity. The adsorption kinetics was proved to conform to the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, and the equilibrium adsorption results were accurately defined by the Dubinin-Radushkevich model, indicating the process of adsorption as a physical, exothermic interaction that occurs spontaneously. The dye removal efficacy of the membrane in the first and fifth usage was 94.5 and 84.2 %, respectively, demonstrating its effectiveness, stability, and reusability. The composite membrane also exhibited effective antibacterial performance regarding Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli (S. aureus & E. coli) with 99 % bacterial reduction capability at high permeation flux of ∼13,000 L m−2h−1. Hence, the fibrous composite materials demonstrated its potential to be an ideal choice for water treatment in textile mills, especially in developing countries.