Obtenção e caracterização físico-química de membranas poliméricas de etilcelulose incorporadas com liga de selênio-fósforo para ensaio de atividade fotocatalítica

Abstract

Polymeric membranes incorporated with chalcogenide alloys constitute a promising strategy for heterogeneous photocatalysis, leveraging the electron-hole photogeneration property. This work presents a study regarding the production and characterization of ethylcellulose polymeric membranes incorporated with selenium-phosphorus chalcogenide alloy (80:20) for use in photocatalytic activity assays. The alloy was produced using mechanical milling, and the membranes were synthesized through electrospinning. The membrane characterization was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Contact Angle and Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS). The study enabled the incorporation of the semiconductor alloy into the polymeric matrix at concentrations of 6%, 8%, and 10% (w/w), resulting in nanoscale fiber formation and optical absorption in the near-infrared region. Additionally, an increase in the fusion enthalpy and crystallinity of the membranes was observed with the increasing concentration of the semiconductor alloy. As a result, the photodegradation study allowed a reduction of up to 76% of methylene blue dye after 720 minutes of reaction, demonstrating that the produced materials hold significant potential for application in the field of photocatalysis.