Open AccessPhotocatalysis degradation of Azo dye using nanoTiO 2 ‐coated porous cellulose gel: enhancement by adsorption and its self‐clean characteristic
Author(s) -
Yang Fan,
Song Xiaojie,
Yan Lifeng,
Wei Wenmei
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2013.0691
Subject(s) - methyl orange , cellulose , thermogravimetric analysis , microcrystalline cellulose , adsorption , photocatalysis , materials science , aqueous solution , chemical engineering , epichlorohydrin , scanning electron microscope , bacterial cellulose , degradation (telecommunications) , nuclear chemistry , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , telecommunications , computer science , engineering
Three‐dimensional cellulose gel was prepared by a crosslinking of the cellulose chains using epichlorohydrin in the presence of the NH 4 OH, and the TiO 2 nanoparticles which were fixed on the surface of cellulose gel to form microcrystalline cellulose gel/nanoTiO 2 composites (MCC‐TiO 2 ). The composites were characterised by means of X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The composites showed an efficient removal of methyl orange (MO) from their aqueous solution, and a two‐step mechanism is involved. At first, the MO molecules were enriched on the surface of the MCC‐TiO 2 by absorption, and then they were degraded there via photocatalysis, and the degradation of the adsorbed MO promoted the further adsorption of MO from the solution. After 30 min, 94% of MO was removed, and the MCC‐TiO 2 can be cleaned by itself and reused without additional treatments.