Modification of cellulose with TiO2 nanoparticles: Potential solar driven photocatalyst and adsorbent

In-situ modification of cellulose fibers with titania nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) (TiO₂ NPs-cellulose) was carried out via the sol–gel process using titania sol and fibers of cellulose. Cellulose fibers were extracted from wheat straw, an agricultural waste material, whereas titania sol was prepared from titanium(IV) acetoximate, [Ti{ONC(CH₃)₂}₄]. The synthesized TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite was characterized by FT-IR, SEM–EDX, and XRD analyses. The obtained results exposed that TiO₂ NPs were homogeneously dispersed over the surface of cellulose fibers. A study was conducted to compare the photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite and TiO₂ NPs towards the degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes under sunlight, and it was observed that the photo-degradation of methylene blue (99.99%) and methyl orange (80.73%) within 160 min is higher in the presence of TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite than TiO₂ NPs. The adsorption capabilities of TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite towards Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cr³⁺ toxic metal ions were also examined, and it was found 44.73 mg. g⁻¹ (89.46%), 38.82 mg. g⁻¹ (77.65%), and 4.42 mg. g⁻¹ (8.85%), respectively. Removal of pollutants from textile industrial effluent were also investigated using TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite under sun light. The results obtained were very promising which shows potential of TiO₂ NPs-cellulose composite as an efficient photocatalyst and absorbent for real time applications.

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