Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile(PAN) Templated 2D NanofibrousMats: A Platform toward Practical Applications for Dye Removal andBacterial Disinfection

摘要

The fabrication of polymeric nanofibers and its potential versatility instigated to foster smart hybrid nanomaterials for the removal of environmental pollutants. In this pursuit, in this research work, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based two-dimensional (2D) nanofibrous mats with polyethyleneimine (PEI)/Fe and quaternary ammonium (QA)/Fe as hybrid fillers were prepared by the electrospinning process for the effective dye removal and bacterial disinfection. The characteristics of the fabricated nanomaterials were extensively explored by several analytical techniques such as field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. Magnetic and thermal properties were investigated by superconducting quantum interference device and thermogravimetric measurements. The kinetic and isothermal models affirmed the adsorption behavior of the PAN–PEI/Fe nanofibers, and further regenerative studies substantiated the sustainability of the mats for the removal of industrialdye effluents. Subsequently, the magnetic-QA-loaded PAN nanofibermats exhibited bactericidal killing efficacy of 99 and 89.5% in both Staphylococcus aureus and green fluorescence proteinexpressing Escherichia coli bacterialmodels evaluated from the conventional quantitative bacterial colony-countingassay. Disk diffusion method and microscopic investigations corroboratedthe disinfection efficacy with zone of inhibitions of ∼23 and33 mm, respectively. Interestingly, in vitro cell culture studiesconducted in BHK-21 and NIH 3T3 cell lines demonstrated the cytocompatibility,and the in vivo toxicity investigations using the zebrafish modelsnecessitated the real-time application of these nanofibrous mats.Therefore, the comprehensive study of the fabricated PAN-templatedfunctionalized 2D nanofibrous mats affirmed to be competent for theremediation of industrial dye effluents and bacteria in water bodies.