ZnO NANOSTRUCTURES GROWN ON CELLULOSE ACETATE

BUTYRATE NANOFIBER MATS AND PRELIMINARY TESTS OF THEIR

PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY
Niculae OLARU1, Gabriela CALIN2, Liliana OLARU1, Felicia IACOMI2, Valentin
NICA2, Andrei V. SANDU3

1 PetruPoni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica-Voda 41 A, Iasi,

700487, Romania
2 Al.I.Cuza University, Faculty of Physics, Bd. Carol I 11, Iasi, 700506, Romania
3 Gh. Asachi Technical University, Faculty of Material Science and Engineering, Iasi, Romania

Background
Zinc oxide nanocrystals grown on metalic surfaces are known to be efficient photocatalysts for organic dyes oxidation and
thus these nanostructures may be useful for purifying residual waters. The present work is aimed to perform new composites
by growing ZnO nanocrystals on a polymer nanofiber mat, cellulose acetate butyrate. It is expected that such composites
exhibit superior photocatalytic activty due to their much higher surface-to-volume ratio.

Objectives a b
SEM
Synthesis of CAB nanocomposites containing micrographs of
nanocrystals of zinc oxide using a chemical dipping CAB composites
technique in ammonium zincate bath. obtained with 25
(a) and 100 (b)
Determination of the morphology of CAB number of
composites and of ZnO particles size in dependence dippings
of the number of dippings and the concentration of
the dipping solution by means of SEM, EDX and
XRD techniques. a b
Preliminary study of the photocatalytic activity EDX spectra of CAB
of the obtained CAB composites over some organic composites obtained
dyes (acid fuchsin and methylene blue). with 25 (a) and 100 (b)
number of dippings

Results and conclusions

CAB composites are performed by means of a
two step procedure :
synthesis of CAB nanofiber containing zinc
acetate by electrospinning from a 35 % (w/v) SEM micrograph of CAB
SEM micrograph of initial
solution in 2-methoxyethanol/dimethylformamide composite obtained using a
CAB nanofibers, without
2/1; single dipping in the
ZnO nanocrystals (image
treatment of CAB nanofiber mat first in a ammonium zincate bath
taken before applying the
solution of NaOH 0.05M and then by several
dipping procedure)
alternative dippings in an ammonium zincate bath
and a hot water bath, for growing of ZnO particles
initially formed on the polymer mat. Methylene
Methylene Fuchsin
blue blue after
SEM micrographs evidence the presence of ZnO after 4h of
before 24 h of
nanocrystals on CAB nanofibers. These irradiation
irradiation irradiation
nanostructures appear whatever could be the
number of chemical dippings.
UV_VIS absorbances for
0,18
MB

It is also observed that the size of ZnO particles

0,16

methylene blue (MB) and

0,14

slightly depends on the numbers of dippings in the

Absorbata (u.a)

0,12

methylene blue in the presence

0,10
MB+ZnO

ammonium zincate bath. 0,08

of ZnO nanoparticles
0,06

0,04

(MB+ZnO) after 24 h of
0,02

EDX spectra of CAB composites clearly show the 0,00

irradiation
-0,02

presence of zinc on the polymeric nanofibers.

500 550 600
nm650 700 750 800

The crystalline form of ZnO is confirmed by XRD

analysis data.
a b
ZnO(101)

1000 CAB ZnO 100

ZnO (002)

CAB ZnO 30 1600

XRD diagrams of
ZnO (002)
ZnO(100)

1400
800

Preliminary tests evidence the potential CAB composites

1200
Intensitatea (u.a)

Intensitatea (u.a)

ZnO(101)

1000
ZnO (110)

600
ZnO (100)

photocatalytic activity of the obtained obtained with 30 (a)

ZnO (102)

CAB 800
CAB
400
ZnO (102)

ZnO (110)

nanocomposites over acid fuchsin and methylene

600

and 100 (b) number

CAB CAB
400 CAB CAB
200

blue. of dippings
200

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
2 (grade) 2 (grade)