Facile Synthesis of Cellulose/ZnO Composite Film and Its Photocatalytic Activity

In order to overcome the aggregation and overlap of nanopowder photocatalysts, the cellulose /ZnO composite films with porous spherical ZnO crystals immobilized in cellulose matrix were prepared by an in-situ hydrothermal method. The morphologies, composition and crystal structure of the prepared composite films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum analysis (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thermostability of the composite films and content of ZnO particles were calculated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by degrading methylene blue and determined by UV-vis spectrophotometer. The results show that the composite films are successfully prepared by this method with ZnO particles distributing uniformly on their surface when heated for 12 h. These ZnO particles are porous spherical and presented typically hexagonal wurtzite structure. Under UV light irradiation, the prepared cellulose/ZnO composite films exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity; the photocatalytic efficiency within 3 h can reach 90% with the amount of ZnO less than 6 mg