Novel polyvinylidene fluoride-carbon quantum dot polymer nanocomposite membrane for removal of antibiotics from water

Abstract Carbon quantum dot (CQD)-based nanocomposites are widely used as fluorescent sensors for the detection of antibiotics in water; however, the use of CQDs for water remediation is largely unexplored. In this study, a novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane modified with CQDs was developed by electrospinning to remove ciprofloxacin from water. A hydrothermal method was used to prepare CQD with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a precursor. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the improved β-phase of PVDF, which is suitable for water remediation. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed that the CQD concentration was an effective parameter for converting PVDF membrane into a porous and fibrous morphology. Among the four membranes, the electro-spun PVDF with a 0.2 ml CQD stock solution (SPVPC-2) exhibited better adsorption and photodegradation efficiency, which could be determined by UV–visible spectroscopy. SPVPC-2 achieved a maximum antibiotic removal efficiency of 81.5% after 5 h of UV exposure. The experiment was repeated in a dark ambient light to differentiate adsorption and photodegradation abilities. SPVPC-2 exhibited good reusability after two cycles, with removal efficiencies of 73.3% and 63.6%, respectively, following 90 min of UV exposure. This study presents a promising approach for the development of PVDF-CQD composite membranes for the removal of antibiotics from water.