Novel synthesized V₂O₅-doped PMMA nanocomposite films for effective photocatalytic removal of methylene blue from water

Abstract: The synergistic effects of population growth, industrialization, and urbanization drive an increase in environmental crises, such as water pollution. Polymeric nanocomposites (PNCs) offer a promising trend for large-scale applications in environmental remediation including photocatalytic water pollutants. In this work, V₂O₅ nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel method and successfully incorporated into PMMA using the casting method. A series of V₂O₅/PMMA photocatalyst films have been fabricated with various loading content of V₂O₅ NPs. The morphological, crystal structure, and optical properties of the prepared V₂O₅/PMMA photocatalysts were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, respectively. The SEM images indicate that there are mainly physical interactions between PMMA and V₂O₅ NPs. Moreover, the prepared V₂O₅/PMMA films before and after treatment with H₂O₂ + UV were evaluated toward MB photodegradation under UV irradiation. The results obtained showed that doping V₂O₅ NPs into PMMA could inhibit the recombination rate of the photogenerated charge carriers. Among all prepared catalysts, the highest photocatalytic performance toward MB degradation under UV irradiation was obtained using the treated P-VPO1 nanocomposite film (0.033% V₂O₅/PMMA) compared to other formulations. Approximately 80% of MB was degraded after 60 min of UV irradiation in the presence of the treated P-VPO1. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the promoting effect of the H₂O₂ + UV treatment for the prepared V₂O₅ doped PMMA films and with an appropriate loading amount of V₂O₅ NPs. Moreover, the P-VPO1 shows good reusability and stability for MB dye photodegradation after five consecutive runs under UV irradiation. This study reported a straightforward, and rapid approach to fabricate an improved V₂O₅/PMMA nanocomposite films with excellent reusability and attractive photocatalytic properties for diverse environmental applications, including water treatment.