Degradation of Bisphenol A Using Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors Functionalized in the Permeate Zone: Bi5O7I Coatings

Photocatalytic membrane reactors have been a focus of research since the 1990s, due to their ability to degrade challenging organic compounds like BPA. Several studies use TiO2 as a photocatalyst in the membrane, which reacts under UV light. However, there are other photocatalysts, such as Bi5O7I, that develop their photocatalytic activity under the visible light spectrum. This study aims to quantify the degradation curves and reaction kinetics of Bisphenol A using a photocatalytic membrane coated with Bi5O7I. The layer-by-layer deposition technique was employed to coat the membranes. This process was applied to uncoated membranes, as well as to those coated with TiO2 and Bi5O7I. The degradation capacity of BPA was quantified in a continuous stirred-tank reactor and a photocatalytic membrane reactor. Both the uncoated membranes and the TiO2-coated membranes were resistant to the removal processes (k_PMR = 2.7 ± 0.6; k_PMR = 3.3 ± 0.1 min-1, respectively). However, the Bi5O7I-coated membranes demonstrated degradation (k_PMR = 6.9 ± 0.8·10–4 min-1). This report promotes the use of BiOX-based coated membranes for contaminant removal, paving the way for the development of pilot-scale photocatalytic membranes.