Molecularly imprinted polymer-based photocatalyst for highly selective degradation of methylene blue

Abstract

ZnO quantum dots were synthesized by chemical precipitation, CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by in situ synthesis of cellulose, and then ZnO/CuFe2O4 (ZCF) composites were fabricated. A photocatalyst (ZCF@MB-MIP) with specific molecule recognition and photocatalytic degradation characteristics was then produced by a surface imprinting method using methylene blue (MB) as the template molecule. The structure of ZCF@MB-MIP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The photocatalytic efficiency of ZCF@MB-MIP and its specific recognition performance in MB degradation was analyzed. The adsorption kinetics of MB by ZCF@MB-MIP conformed to the quasi-secondary adsorption kinetics model. ZCF@MB-MIP displayed effective photocatalytic degradation of MB under natural light. The degradation rate reached 95.8%, which was much higher than those of ZCF, CuFe2O4 nanoparticles, and a non-imprinted reference sample under the same conditions. This work is a useful reference for the construction of photocatalysts that show highly selective recognition of dye molecules.