Polyacrylonitrile Derived Robust and Flexible Poly(ionic liquid)s Nanofiber Membrane as Catalyst Supporter

Poly(ionic liquid)s nanofiber (PIL NF) membrane was derived from polyacrylonitrile by converting its cyano groups to imidazoline moieties via cyclization with ethylenediamine, followed by quaternization with 1-bromobutane. The novel PIL NF is further decorated with photocatalyst phosphotungstic acid PW12 via anion exchanging to give PW-PIL. The degradation rate of the novel supported photocatalyst towards methyl orange irradiated under visible light was found to be 98%. In addition, the nanofiber membrane morphology is beneficial for easy recycling, and 98% of original degradation rate was maintained after 5 cycles of photocatalysis degradation. This robust, efficient, and recyclable material offers a new approach for serving as catalyst supporter. The photocatalyst PW-PIL is reported for the first time. The inexpensive functional membrane is used to exploit the sun as a cheap and clean source of light.