Tunable Molybdenum Disulfide-Enabled Fiber Mats for High-Efficiency Removal of Mercury from Water.

The application of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) for water decontamination is expanded toward a novel approach for mercury removal using nanofibrous mats coated with MoS. A bottom-up synthesis method for growing MoS on carbon nanofibers was employed to maximize the nanocomposite decontamination potential while minimizing the release of the nanomaterial to treated water. First, a co-polymer of polyacrylonitrile and polystyrene was electrospun as nanofibrous mats and pretreated to form pristine carbon fibers.

Electrospun silica nanofiber mats functionalized with ceria nanoparticles for water decontamination.

This study demonstrates the fabrication of nanoceria-immobilized silica nanofibers for efficient water decontamination with easy reuse and regeneration properties. Commercially-available ceria (CeO) nanoparticles were immobilized on electrospun silica nanofiber mats. Optimal conditions for both oxidation of model trace organic compounds (TrOCs) and hydroxyl-radical formation were determined in batch experiments with ceria nanoparticles.