Water Resistant Cellulose - Titanium Dioxide Composites for Photocatalysis.

ABSTRACT: Novel water resistant photocatalytic composites of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-polyamide-amine-epichlorohydrin (PAE)-TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a simple two-step mixing process. The composites produced are flexible, uniform, reproducible and reusable; they can readily be removed from the pollutant once used. Small amount of TiO₂ NPs are required for the loaded composites to exhibit a remarkable photocatalytic activity which is quantified here as achieving at least 95% of methyl orange degradation under 150 min of UV light irradiation for the composite with best combination. The cellulose network combined with PAE strongly retains NPs and hinders their release in the environment. PAE dosage (10 and 50 mg/g MFC) controls the NP retention in the cellu

SUBMITTER: Garusinghe UM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5797173 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature