Electrospun Bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) Tetradecyltrihexylphosphinate/Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber Membranes with Enhanced Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene Adsorption Performance and Regenerability

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) significantly contribute to atmospheric pollution and present considerable health hazards. This study involves the fabrication of a novel ionic liquid/polymer nanofiber membrane, [P(14)666]TMPP/PAN, using electrospinning, and its subsequent evaluation for adsorption performance concerning typical aromatic volatile organic compounds—benzene, toluene, and xylene. The membranes were methodically analysed utilising SEM, TGA, FTIR, and XRD techniques. Adsorption tests indicated that augmenting the [P(14)666]TMPP loading improved VOC uptake, with the 80 wt% ionic liquid membrane attaining maximum adsorption capacities of 1466.81, 569.14, and 456.29 mg/g for benzene, toluene, and xylene, respectively—signifying enhancements of 23.6-, 4.8-, and 8.4-fold compared to pristine PAN. Furthermore, regeneration studies validated consistent performance across four adsorption–desorption cycles. The results underscore the efficacy of electrospun [P(14)666]TMPP/PAN membranes as reusable adsorbents for the elimination of volatile organic compounds in air purification applications.