Clay-Nanoarchitectures as Photocatalysts by In Situ Assembly of ZnO Nanoparticles and Clay Minerals

ZnO-clay nanoarchitectures have been prepared by in situ generation of ZnO nanoparticles from zinc acetylacetonate in isopropanol under reflux in the presence of organoclays. Two layered clays, a commercialWyoming montmorillonite and a smectite from Gafsa (Tunisia), and a fibrous clay, sepiolite from Vallecas-Vicalvaro (Spain), modified with cetyltrimethylammonium ions were the organoclay substrates for assembling the formed nanoparticles. After a convenient thermal treatment, the organic matter is eliminated and the ZnO/clay nanoarchitectures consolidated. XRD, FE-SEM and TEM, among other characterization techniques confirmed the presence of the ZnO in wurtzite phase assembled to the clays in the final porous ZnO/clay nanoarchitectures. The activity as photocatalysts of the resulting materials was evaluated using ibuprofen as a model drug in view to explore the usefulness of these ZnO/clay nanoarchitectures in the removal of emergent pollutants in water.