Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (3): 355-365.doi: 10.1007/s40242-021-1095-5

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Electrospun Nanofibrous Adsorption Membranes for Wastewater Treatment: Mechanical Strength Enhancement

XIN Rui1, MA Hongyang1,2, Shyam VENKATESWARAN2, Benjamin S. HSIAO2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China;
    2. Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400, USA
  • Received:2021-03-09 Revised:2021-04-22 Online:2021-06-01 Published:2021-05-08
  • Contact: MA Hongyang E-mail:hongyang.ma@stonybrook.edu
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51673011), the Project of the State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China(No. oic-202001002).

Abstract: Functional nanofibrous membranes fabricated by electrospinning technology have attracted much attention in the removal of heavy metal ions from contaminated wastewater. The high specific surface area, high porosity and ease of functionality create an enhanced throughput and high adsorption capacity of the nanofibrous membrane. However, the relatively poor mechanical properties of the membrane with a non-woven nanofibrous structure are one of the major concerns, which can limit the applications in wastewater treatment. Different strategies and methodologies were explored to address the problems and were reviewed in this work, highlighting the possibilities of overcoming the poor mechanical properties of the nanofibrous membrane and to ensure the recyclability and reusability of the membrane during the adsorption process.

Key words: Electrospun nanofibrous membrane, Mechanical property, Heavy metal ion, Wastewater treatment