Photocatalytic and pressure membrane process applications of semiconductor black phosphorus-based composite materials

In this thesis, black phosphorus (BP), possessing remarkable physical and chemical properties, was synthesized by solvothermal methods, and its potential in membrane filtration and photocatalytic treatment systems was investigated. A composite structure (BP@PVDF) containing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was developed to facilitate the separation of BP from water and prevent its degradation in a water/oxygen environment. In photocatalytic experiments, it was determined that BP@PVDF achieved a treatment efficiency of 93.49% after 1 hour under visible light, at pH 7, and with 10 ppm methylene blue, and maintained a performance above 50% even after 10 reuses. Furthermore, the protein (BSA) and bacteria (E. coli) removal performance of composite membranes (BP@PES) produced by adding BP to polyethersulfone (PES) membranes at different ratios (0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) was examined. Compared to pure PES membranes, BP-containing membranes showed significantly increased BSA rejection and antibacterial efficacy, with 100% BSA rejection achieved for the 2.0% BP@PES membrane. BP was also found to exhibit high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and biofilm inhibition properties. In conclusion, the BP@PVDF photocatalytic systems developed within the scope of this thesis offer high performance and reusability, while BP@PES membranes provide improved treatment and antibacterial properties in membrane treatment applications. These findings demonstrate that BP-containing composites have promising potential in water treatment technologies.