Photoassisted degradation of rhodamine B using poly(<i>ε</i>‐caprolactone) based nanocomposites: Mechanistic and kinetic features

Abstract

Abstract The efficiency of poly ( ε ‐caprolactone)‐cloisite 10A nanocomposite membrane in removing/degrading of an amphoteric dye (rhodamine B) from aqueous samples under visible light is investigated in detail. Nanocomposite membranes were prepared by electrospinning technique using acetone‐chloroform mixture as solvent. The synthesized nanocomposites were used to degrade rhodamine B from aqueous samples under visible light conditions using a 50 W light‐emitting diode lamb. Samples were withdrawn at definite intervals of 30 min and analyzed using UV–vis spectroscopy, LC‐Q‐ToF/MS‐MS, and antibacterial studies. Detailed chemistry of the rhodamine B degradation is reported by interpreting experimental results and using first‐principles density functional theory calculations. Cytotoxicity tests confirm the eco‐friendly nature of end product obtained. Nanocomposite with 9 wt% of cloisite 10A, effectively converts rhodamine B to eco‐friendly products within almost 3 h. To the best of our knowledge, no work has been reported on the use of poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐cloisite 10A nanocomposites for dye removal from water samples.