Development of polyvinylidene fluoride/graphene oxide composite beads for enhanced water treatment and pollution remediation

Title : Development of polyvinylidene fluoride/graphene oxide composite beads for enhanced water treatment and pollution remediation

Abstract:

The development of advanced composite materials for water treatment is crucial for tackling worldwide issues associated with water contamination. This research is centered on the elaboration of novel composite materials based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and graphene oxide (GO), fabricated in bead form for efficient water treatment. In the current work, GO has been incorporated into PVDF in different ratios, to enhance its functional properties. Since the former is known for its very large surface area with interesting functional groups providing it with adsorption efficiency, while the latter is better known for its durable character; recognized for its superior chemical and mechanical resistance. The elaboration of the material ensured a homogeneous dispersion of GO in the PVDF matrix, and the beads were prepared using the phase inversion technique. SEM, FTIR, TGA, and BET were used to investigate the morphological, structural, thermal, and surface area properties of the composite material, respectively. Accordingly, the PVDF-GO beads showed higher efficiency in the removal of heavy metals (Cd), and dyes (methylene blue) from water through adsorption processes. This work underlines the material's great adsorption capacity, stability, and reusability, highlighting its potential application in sustainable water treatment. It also develops further the polymer-based composites for environmental clean-up applications

Biography:

Laila EL FOUJJI is a PhD student in the Chemistry Department at Mohamed 5 University and Mascir Mohamed 6 Polytechnic University. Pursuing a doctoral degree in Chemistry, with a specific focus on Organic chemistry and Materials science. Her current research aims to synthesize organic molecules and to use them in the development of composite materials, especially in polymeric composites. Prior to their PhD, Laila EL FOUJJI earned a master’s degree in Functional Materials from Faculty of Sciences and Technologies in Chemistry Department ad Cadi Ayyad University, where they developed an interest in composite materials for battery applications. Laila EL FOUJJI has contributed to writing several publications.