Abstract
Silica nanoparticles are generally mesoporous that are predominant in the sand and rocks. Silica nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in various fields such as medicine, waste management, effluent treatment and electronics. The present work has explored the synthesis of silica nanoparticles through acid and alkaline leaching method from Pedalium murex which is a common weed that is found in southern parts of Tamil Nadu. Silica nanoparticles (SiNps) and its functional groups were confirmed by EDX and FTIR analysis with their respective energy dispersion levels and wavenumbers. Size, shape and morphological features of SiNps were analysed by PSA, TEM and SAED analysis. Synthesised and characterized nanosilica was crosslinked over nylon-66 and cellulose nitrate membranes and were confirmed by FTIR analysis for their crosslinking with SiNps. Water retention activity of the crosslinked and non crosslinked membranes was analysed by contact angle measurement to ensure the receptability of the membranes to remove contaminants by the adsorption. The decolourisation efficiency of the crosslinked nylon 66 membrane was found as a potential source for the treatment with 65.5% colour reduction when compared with other membranes. A slight reduction of solid profiles and COD ranges were achieved for crosslinked membranes than non crosslinked membranes. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.