New Delhi, October 13 (Daily Kiran) : A groundbreaking machine learning-enabled filter has been developed for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater. This innovative technology integrates biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibers with green-synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The system promises an eco-friendly method to address the persistent challenge of industrial dye discharge, particularly from the textile industry.
The discharge of organic dyes poses significant environmental threats due to their stability, toxicity, and resistance to natural degradation. This research addresses the urgent need for sustainable wastewater treatment technologies. Traditional methods like adsorption, sedimentation, and flocculation can separate pollutants, but they do not necessarily eliminate them. Biological treatments for highly stable dyes can also be slow. Photocatalysis emerges as an attractive alternative, using renewable energy to reduce pollutants under relatively mild conditions.
However, conventional photocatalytic systems face several challenges, including the replenishment of nanoparticle catalysts, the separation of catalysts from treated water, electron-hole recombination, dependence on light availability, and the need for efficient catalyst-pollutant contact.
To tackle these issues, the Nano Science and Technology Institute (INST) in Mohali, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a new technology. This technique stabilizes ZnO within porous PLA nanofibers and introduces mechanical stimulation through light. Mechanical vibrations generate piezoelectric polarization, suppressing electron-hole recombination and enhancing the formation of reactive species. The research has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Dr. Abhiru Kumar Basu’s laboratory synthesized ZnO nanoparticles using turmeric extract, leveraging naturally occurring bioactive compounds such as curcumin, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. This approach avoids harmful reagents typically associated with traditional synthesis methods.
The electrospinning process created a porous, high-surface-area, and mechanically stable catalytic membrane, rather than using dispersed ZnO powder. The integration of photocatalysis and piezocatalysis enabled pollutant degradation through both light and mechanical vibrations.
Under combined light and ultrasonic stimulation, the PLA-ZnO nanofibers achieved a remarkable 98.6% removal of methylene blue (MB) and 96.7% of Congo red (CR) dyes within 120 minutes. The new material also demonstrated antibacterial properties, inactivating nearly 75% of E. coli and 71% of S. aureus after six hours. Machine learning was employed in this experimental study to predict dye decolorization behavior based on variables such as wavelength, time, catalyst amount, ultrasonic frequency, light intensity, and dye concentration.
The developed PLA-ZnO nanofibers can be utilized for wastewater treatment, particularly for persistent organic dyes and microbial contaminants associated with textile and industrial waste. They can also be applied in photocatalytic and piezocatalytic environmental treatments and as antibacterial water treatment membranes.
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