In the present study, novel silk fibroin (SF)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) double-layer nanofilters defined by a variable composition of polyaniline (PANI)/TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using an electrospinning technique, and their application for dye removal was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that fibrous mats characterized by nanoscale diameters (70–120 nm) and random ultrafine fiber orientations without beads were successfully obtained. Tensile test results revealed that the strength and Young’s modulus were markedly enhanced in the hybrid double-layer SF-PAN membranes relative to single-layer polymers. In addition, the incorporation of PANI/TiO2 nanoparticles within the hybrid samples resulted in a notable increase in strength and modulus. The adsorption-assisted nanofiltration performance of the membranes in removing anionic reactive black (HFGR) dye from aqueous solution was investigated using a dead-end stirred cell filtration device. The effect of several variables, including PANI/TiO2 nanoparticle content, pH and dye concentration, were evaluated. Hybrid nanofilters containing 7.5 wt% PANI/TiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated excellent dye removal efficiency of up to ~92% in acidic solution.
