Converting cellulose nanocrystals into photocatalysts by functionalisation with titanium dioxide nanorods and gold nanocrystals
Santhosh S. Nair, Jianhong Chen, Adam Slabon, Aji P. Mathew
Abstract
nanorods (NRs) and functionalization with Au nanocrystals (NCs) for enhanced light absorption. The control of the density of the NRs assures that the CNC surface and functionalities are accessible for the pollutant, followed by the photocatalytic degradation on the light absorption layer under solar illumination. This seed-mediated NR synthesis can be applied to realize a series of CNC-inorganic NR photocatalysts. The low temperature (90 °C compared to commonly reported growth at 150 °C) of the NR growth provides the opportunity to use nanostructured biopolymers as functional substrates for preparation of photocatalysts using a bio-inspired design.
Topics & Concepts
NanorodNanocrystalTitanium dioxideMaterials sciencePhotocatalysisCelluloseNanotechnologyChemical engineeringColloidal goldTitaniumChemistryNanoparticleMetallurgyCatalysisOrganic chemistryEngineeringTiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar CellsNanomaterials for catalytic reactionsCopper-based nanomaterials and applications