Facile preparation and photocatalytic performance of anatase TiO2/nanocellulose composite

Anatase TiO2/nanocellulose composite was prepared for the first time via a one-step method at a relatively low temperature by using cellulose nanofibers as carrier and tetrabutyl titanate as titanium precursor. The morphology, structure and element composition of the composite were characterized by SEM, EDS, TEM, XRD and XPS. The specific surface area and thermal stability of the composite were investigated by N2 adsorption-desorption and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. In addition, the prepared composite was used for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (aqueous solution, 40 mg·L-1). It was found that the composite had a good morphology and anatase crystal structure, and Ti-O-C bond was formed between TiO2 and nanocellulose. The specific surface area of composite was increased and the thermal stability was decreased compared with the cellulose nanofiber. Moreover, the degradation rate of methyl orange was achieved as 99.72% within 30 min, and no obvious activity loss was observed after five cycles. This work might give some insights into the design of efficient photocatalysts for the treatment of organic dye wastewater.