Electrospun nanofibrous membranes for solid-phase extraction of estriol from aqueous solution

Nowadays, efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly materials for the removal of emerging contaminants from the aquatic environment have been sought. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes contain fibers with diameters of submicron or nanometer scale, making them very promising adsorbent materials for use in several areas. In this context, the present study aims to synthesize and apply polymeric nanofiber membranes for solid-phase extraction of estriol from aqueous solution. Nanofiber membranes of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polyamide-6 (PA-6) were tested as adsorbent materials and characterized by different techniques. The electrospinning time was evaluated, and the highest removal obtained for the PA-6 nanofiber was 76.5%, spun for 100 min, whereas for the PCL nanofiber, 80% time-independent removal was obtained. The thinner nanofibers had a larger contact area, therefore higher removals, except for the PCL nanofiber, which presented exposed beads on smaller thicknesses that impaired their efficiency. Furthermore, the nanofiber membranes have been applied for the determination of 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of E3 in superficial water sample with satisfactory results. These aspects demonstrate that the synthesized nanofibers present an efficient material for the extraction of estriol: of high simplicity, low cost, and using green chemistry. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47189.