Immobilization of flower-like ZnO on activated carbon fibre as recycled photocatalysts

ZnO was grown on the surface of activated carbon fibre (ACF) by a hydrothermal method to form a recyclable photocatalyst. With an increase in hydrothermal time from 1.5 to 3 h, ZnO particles deposited on the surface of ACF changed from sparse, random rod-like structures to dense, flower-like structures, which comprise many hexagonal ZnO nanorods. The results show that ZnO/ACF-3 has improved photocatalytic properties compared to ZnO/ACF-1.5 and ZnO, and the cause of this enhanced photocatalytic activity was also discussed. The cycling experiments demonstrated that ZnO/ACF-3 can be recycled without a remarkable decrease in photocatalytic activity.