Hierarchically Structured NH2‐MIL‐125/TiO2/Cellulose Composite Membranes With Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Abstract

AbstractA cellulose‐based photocatalytic membrane was fabricated by in situ growth of the NH2‐MIL‐125 nanoparticles onto the surfaces of the ultrathin titania (TiO2) gel layers pre‐coated cellulose nanofibres of natural cellulose substance (commercial laboratory filter paper). The NH2‐MIL‐125 nanoparticles were grown on the surface of the titania gel coated cellulose nanofibres via a one‐step solvothermal method. The resultant composite membranes maintained the initial hierarchical network structures of the bulk cellulose substance, consisting titania gel layer coated cellulose nanofibres with NH2‐MIL‐125 nanoparticles anchored on the surfaces. Owing to the hierarchical porous structure of the cellulose substrates as well as the effective heterostructure formation between the NH2‐MIL‐125 particles and the TiO2 layers, the composites showed enhanced photocatalytic performances. The NH2‐MIL‐125/TiO2/cellulose composite composed of 15.82 wt% NH2‐MIL‐125 content with nanoparticles sizes of 100–200 nm showed an apparent rate constant of 0.032 min−1 in photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), which was higher than those of the NH2‐MIL‐125/cellulose composite and the TiO2/cellulose composite. It was demonstrated that pre‐coating of the cellulose nanofibres with ultrathin titania gel layers was essential for the growth of the NH2‐MIL‐125 nanoparticles thereon.