Polydopamine-coated electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) membranes as efficient dye adsorbent with good recyclability

Free-standing poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) membranes with polydopamine coating (PVA/PAA@PDA) were prepared based on the combination of electrospinning and self-polymerization of dopamine. Benefiting from the high specific surface area of electrospun membranes and the abundant “adhesive” functional groups of polydopamine, the as-prepared membranes exhibit efficient adsorption performance toward methyl blue with the maximum adsorption capacity reaching up to 1147.6 mg g−1. Moreover, compared to other nanoparticle adsorbents, the as-prepared self-standing membrane is highly flexible, easy to operate and retrieve, and most importantly, easy to elute and regenerate, which enable its potential applications in wastewater treatment.