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Journal of Polymer & Composites Original Research

Au@Sio2@PVP-DCMD Membranes: A Breakthrough in Heavy Metal Removal and Antibacterial Defense

  1. Sufyana Idrees Department of Physics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
  2. Aneeqa Sabah Department of Physics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
  3. Mohsin Nazir Department of Software Engineering, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
  4. Whied ul Hussan Shahzad Department of Industrial biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore
  5. Aneela Sabbir Department of Polymer Engineering, Punjab University, Lahore
  6. Sahar Tasleem Department of Physics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore

Abstract

This study investigates the development and characterization of multifunctional gold-doped silica (Au@SiO₂) membranes for water distillation and antibacterial applications. The manufacturing process integrated gold nanoparticles into silica matrices using sol-gel techniques. Structural analysis was conducted using SEM (showing uniform pore distribution with an average pore size of 40-50 nm), FTIR (confirming Si-O-Si and Si-Au-Si bonding peaks at 525 cm⁻¹ and 1310 cm⁻¹ respectively), EDX (revealing gold nanoparticle content of 1.5 wt%), and UV-Visible spectroscopy (indicating an optical band gap decrease from 2.6 eV to 1.8 eV). Permeation tests demonstrated a water vapor transport rate of 3.2 kg/m²h, with heavy metal rejection rates exceeding 99.5% for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺. Antibacterial efficacy was validated through microbial assays, showing a reduction of bacterial colonies by 98% for K. pneumoniae and 96% for S. aureus. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that doping with gold led to a 1.2 eV reduction in the band gap, a 15% decrease in total stress, increases in elastic modulus and thermal conductivity, a 20% rise in bond energy, and an 18% increase in potential energy. The large ionic radius of gold prevented its incorporation into the silica matrix, as supported by experimental data. These results highlight the potential of (Au@SiO₂) membranes in achieving energy-efficient water distillation and effective antibacterial performance, marking a significant advancement in water purification technology.

Keywords

References (31)

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