Rapid Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutant from Water under UV and Sunlight via Cellulose Nanofiber Aerogel Wrapped by TiO2

Abstract

Semiconductor photocatalysis can be used to decompose various organic compounds in open air under aqueous conditions with solar energy. A cellulose nanofiber/TiO2 aerogel (CNFT) for rapid photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) solution was successfully fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method. TiO2 nanoparticles adhered to the surface of cellulose nanofibers as scaffold through a hydrogen bond and were well-distributed. The particle size distribution data showed that the mean diameter of TiO2 nanoparticles was around 6.8 nm. In the system of the as-prepared CNFT, CNF played important roles in adsorption of pollutant and in stopping the electron hole derived from TiO2 from recombining. The composite aerogel exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity in the degradation of pollutant (MB) under ultraviolet light (UV) and sunlight irradiation. The composite aerogel could be regarded as a green and portable photocatalyst, because it was promising for wastewater treatment application as a result of its good high photocatalytic activity and stability under ultraviolet light and sunlight irradiation.