Preparation and characterization of regenerated cellulose/TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites and its photocatalytic activity

Regenerated cellulose (RC)/TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites have been prepared via hydrothermally grown ZnO on the RC/TiO2 nanofibers. The RC/TiO2 nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technology followed via sol-gel process. Results show that a plenty of amorphous TiO2 sol particles is dispersed on the surfaces of the RC nanotibers, and ZnO (wurtzite structure) nanosheets could be fixed on the surface of RC/TiO2 nanofibers. The photocatalytic activities indicate that the RC/TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites perform a higher photocatalytic property than RC/TiO2 nanocomposites nanofibers or pure ZnO nanosheets, (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.