Preparation and characterization of phenolphthalein polyethersulfone/silica nanofibrous membranes by solution blowing

Phenolphthalein polyethersulfone (PES-C)/silica (SiO2) composite nanofibrous membranes were prepared via solution blowing. The spinning solutions were prepared by mixing a solution of PES-C in dimethylacetamide with different amounts of colloidal SiO2 in ethylene glycol. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and water contact angles were conducted to characterize the properties of composite nanofibrous membranes. The results showed that the thermal properties and surface wettability were improved by the addition of appropriate amount of nano-SiO2. Furthermore, permeation fluxes of pure water and the filtration of starch suspension were measured to evaluate the antifouling property of the PES-C/SiO2 composite membranes