Abstract
This work reports the immobilization of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cotton fabrics (CFs). The ZnO and AuNPs containing CF composite materials demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activity towards degradation of the model organic dye molecule. A two-step method was used to first create zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs) on the CF fibers. Subsequently, these ZnONRs were decorated with cationic polymer-capped AuNPs to yield the composite materials. A one-pot synthetic route was developed to synthesize polymer-capped AuNPs. The water-soluble cationic polymers used here are polyguanidino oxanorbornenes (PGONs) at 20 kDa and polyamino oxanorbornenes (PAONs) at 20 kDa. UV—vis was utilized to monitor the composite materials’ photocatalytic activity in degrading model organic dye molecules. All the materials were characterized by FTIR, UV—visible DRS, SEM, EDX, and XRD. The composite materials exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and recyclability in the presence of UV light.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Zeng H, Cai W, Liu P, et al. ZnO-based hollow nanoparticles by selective etching: Elimination and reconstruction of metal-semiconductor interface, improvement of blue emission and photocatalysis. ACS Nano, 2008, 2(8): 1661–1670
Wang X, Liao M, Zhong Y, et al. ZnO hollow spheres with double-yolk egg structure for high-performance photocatalysts and photodetectors. Advanced Materials, 2012, 24(25): 3421–3425
Han Z, Ren L, Cui Z, et al. Ag/ZnO flower heterostructures as a visible-light driven photocatalyst via surface plasmon resonance. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2012, 126: 298–305
Li P, Wei Z, Wu T, et al. Au-ZnO hybrid nanopyramids and their photocatalytic properties. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011, 133(15): 5660–5663
Gargas D J, Gao H, Wang H, et al. High quantum efficiency of band-edge emission from ZnO nanowires. Nano Letters, 2011, 11(9): 3792–3796
Huang K, Li Y H, Lin S, et al. A facile route to reduced graphene oxide-zinc oxide nanorod composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Powder Technology, 2014, 257: 113–119
Ko S H, Lee D, Kang H W, et al. Nanoforest of hydrothermally grown hierarchical ZnO nanowires for a high efficiency dyesensitized solar cell. Nano Letters, 2011, 11(2): 666–671
Zhang Y, Yang Y, Wang Z L. Piezo-phototronics effect on nano/microwire solar cells. Energy & Environmental Science, 2012, 5(5): 6850–6856
Yang T H, Huang L D, Harn Y W, et al. High density unaggregated Au nanoparticles on ZnO nanorod arrays function as efficient and recyclable photocatalysts for environmental purification. Small, 2013, 9(18): 3169–3182
Tang Q, Lin L, Zhao X, et al. p-n Heterojunction on ordered ZnO nanowires/polyaniline microrods double array. Langmuir, 2012, 28(8): 3972–3978
Saleh T A, Gondal M A, Drmosh Q A. Preparation of a MWCNT/ZnO nanocomposite and its photocatalytic activity for the removal of cyanide from water using a laser. Nanotechnology, 2010, 21(49): 495705
She P, Xu K, Zeng S, et al. Investigating the size effect of Au nanospheres on the photocatalytic activity of Au-modified ZnO nanorods. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2017, 499: 76–82
Pare B, Jonnalagadda S B, Tomar H, et al. ZnO assisted photocatalytic degradation of acridine orange in aqueous solution using visible irradiation. Desalination, 2008, 232(1–3): 80–90
Juneja S, Madhavan A A, Ghosal A, et al. Synthesis of graphenized Au/ZnO plasmonic nanocomposites for simultaneous sunlight mediated photo-catalysis and anti-microbial activity. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2018, 347: 378–389
She P, Xu K, Yin S, et al. Bioinspired self-standing macroporous Au/ZnO sponges for enhanced photocatalysis. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2018, 514: 40–48
Guo W, Zhang F, Lin C, et al. Direct growth of TiO2 nanosheet arrays on carbon fibers for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. Advanced Materials, 2012, 24(35): 4761–4764
Zhang X, Ren H, Wang T, et al. Controlled synthesis and magnetically separable photocatalytic properties of magnetic iron oxides@SnO2 yolk-shell nanocapsules. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, 22(26): 13380–13385
Nunes B N, Paula L F, Costa I A, et al. Layer-by-layer assembled photocatalysts for environmental remediation and solar energy conversion. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 2017, 32: 1–20
Yu X, Wang S, Zhang X, et al. Heterostructured nanorod array with piezophototronic and plasmonic effect for photodynamic bacteria killing and wound healing. Nano Energy, 2018, 46: 29–38
Baruah B. In situ and facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles on baby wipes and their applications in catalysis and SERS. RSC Advances, 2016, 6(6): 5016–5023
Pandiyarasan V, Suhasini S, Archana J, et al. Fabrication of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures on cotton fabric for wearable device applications. Applied Surface Science, 2017, 418: 352–361
Manna J, Goswami S, Shilpa N, et al. Biomimetic method to assemble nanostructured Ag@ZnO on cotton fabrics: Application as self-cleaning flexible materials with visible-light photocatalysis and antibacterial activities. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015, 7(15): 8076–8082
Wang R, Wang X, Xin J H. Advanced visible-light-driven self-cleaning cotton by Au/TiO2/SiO2 photocatalysts. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2010, 2(1): 82–85
She P, Yin S, He Q, et al. A self-standing macroporous Au/ZnO/reduced graphene oxide foam for recyclable photocatalysis and photocurrent generation. Electrochimica Acta, 2017, 246: 35–42
Li R, Hu J, Deng M, et al. Integration of an inorganic semiconductor with a metal-organic framework: A platform for enhanced gaseous photocatalytic reactions. Advanced Materials, 2014, 26(28): 4783–4788
Wang X, Liu J, Leong S, et al. Rapid construction of ZnO@ZIF-8 heterostructures with size-selective photocatalysis properties. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016, 8(14): 9080–9087
Athauda T J, Hari P, Ozer R R. Tuning physical and optical properties of ZnO nanowire arrays grown on cotton fibers. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2013, 5(13): 6237–6246
Baruah B, Gabriel G J, Akbashev M J, et al. Facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles stabilized by cationic polynorbornenes and their catalytic activity in 4-nitrophenol reduction. Langmuir, 2013, 29(13): 4225–4234
Baruah B, Downer L, Agyeman D. Fabric-based composite materials containing ZnO-NRs and ZnO-NRs-AuNPs and their application in photocatalysis. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2019, 231: 252–259
Wilke T, Schneider M, Kleinermanns K. 1,4-Hydroquinone is a hydrogen reservoir for fuel cells and recyclable via photocatalytic water splitting. Open Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2013, 3: 97–102
Page S E, Arnold W A, McNeill K. Terephthalate as a probe for photochemically generated hydroxyl radical. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 2010, 12(9): 1658–1665
Lu H, Fei B, Xin J H, et al. Fabrication of UV-blocking nanohybrid coating via miniemulsion polymerization. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2006, 300(1): 111–116
Vimala K, Mohan Y M, Sivudu K S, et al. Fabrication of porous chitosan films impregnated with silver nanoparticles: A facile approach for superior antibacterial application. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 2010, 76(1): 248–258
Xia W, Mei C, Zeng X, et al. Nanoplate-built ZnO hollow microspheres decorated with gold nanoparticles and their enhanced photocatalytic and gas-sensing properties. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015, 7(22): 11824–11832
Jiang Z, Jiang D, Yan Z, et al. A new visible light active multifunctional ternary composite based on TiO2-In2O3 nano-crystals heterojunction decorated porous graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalytic treatment of hazardous pollutant and H2 evolution. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 170–171: 195–205
Sun L, Zhao D, Zhang Z, et al. DNA-based fabrication of density-controlled vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays and their SERS applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011, 21(26): 9674–9681
Viter R, Balevicius Z, Abou Chaaya A, et al. The influence of localized plasmons on the optical properties of Au/ZnO nanostructures. Journal of Materials Chemistry C: Materials for Optical and Electronic Devices, 2015, 3(26): 6815–6821
Sun L, Zhao D, Song Z, et al. Gold nanoparticles modified ZnO nanorods with improved photocatalytic activity. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2011, 363(1): 175–181
Xiao F, Wang F, Fu X, et al. A green and facile self-assembly preparation of gold nanoparticles/ZnO nanocomposite for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, 22(7): 2868–2877
Ruiz Peralta M L, Pal U, Zeferino R S. Photoluminescence (PL) quenching and enhanced photocatalytic activity of Au-decorated ZnO nanorods fabricated through microwave-assisted chemical synthesis. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2012, 4(9): 4807–4816
Wen C, Liao F, Liu S, et al. Bi-functional ZnO-RGO-Au substrate: Photocatalysts for degrading pollutants and SERS substrates for real-time monitoring. Chemical Communications, 2013, 49(29): 3049–3051
Mondal C, Pal J, Ganguly M, et al. A one pot synthesis of Au-ZnO nanocomposites for plasmon-enhanced sunlight driven photocatalytic activity. New Journal of Chemistry, 2014, 38(7): 2999–3005
Bora T, Zoepfl D, Dutta J. Importance of plasmonic heating on visible light driven photocatalysis of gold nanoparticle decorated zinc oxide nanorods. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6(1): 26913
Bramhaiah K, Singh V N, John N S. Hybrid materials of ZnO nanostructures with reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles: Enhanced photodegradation rates in relation to their composition and morphology. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2016, 18(3): 1478–1486
She P, Xu K, He Q, et al. Controlled preparation and visible light photocatalytic activities of corn cob-like Au-ZnO nanorods. Journal of Materials Science, 2017, 52(6): 3478–3489
Le C H, Nguyen O T T, Nguyen H S, et al. Controllable synthesis and visible-active photocatalytic properties of Au nanoparticles decorated urchin-like ZnO nanostructures. Current Applied Physics, 2017, 17(11): 1506–1512
Xia X, Zhang J, Sawall T. A simple colorimetric method for the quantification of Au(III) ions and its use in quantifying Au nanoparticles. Analytical Methods, 2015, 7(9): 3671–3675
Zhang S, Zhang Z, Wang T, et al. High-throughput and ultratrace naked-eye colorimetric detection of Au3+ based on the gold amalgam-stimulated peroxidase mimetic activity in aqueous solutions. Chemical Communications, 2017, 53(36): 5056–5058
Huo Y, Lu J, Lu T, et al. Comparative studies on OLED performances of chloro and fluoro substituted Zn(II) 8-hydroxyquinolinates. New Journal of Chemistry, 2015, 39(1): 333–341
Yang X, Wang D. Photocatalysis: From fundamental principles to materials and applications. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2018, 1(12): 6657–6693
Furube A, Hashimoto S. Insight into plasmonic hot-electron transfer and plasmon molecular drive: New dimensions in energy conversion and nanofabrication. NPG Asia Materials, 2017, 9(12): e454
Wu K, Chen J, McBride J R, et al. Efficient hot-electron transfer by a plasmon-induced interfacial charge-transfer transition. Science, 2015, 349(6248): 632–635
DuChene J S, Sweeny B C, Johnston-Peck A C, et al. Prolonged hot electron dynamics in plasmonic-metal/semiconductor hetero-structures with implications for solar photocatalysis. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2014, 53(30): 7887–7891
Attri P, Kim Y H, Park D H, et al. Generation mechanism of hydroxyl radical species and its lifetime prediction during the plasma-initiated ultraviolet (UV) photolysis. Scientific Reports, 2015, 5(1): 9332
Reddy D A, Choi J, Lee S, et al. Green synthesis of AgI nanoparticle-functionalized reduced graphene oxide aerogels with enhanced catalytic performance and facile recycling. RSC Advances, 2015, 5(83): 67394–67404
Yang Y, Ma Z, Xu L, et al. Preparation of reduced graphene oxide/meso-TiO2/AuNPs ternary composites and their visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. Applied Surface Science, 2016, 369: 576–583
Zhang H, Zhu Y. Significant visible photoactivity and antiphotocorrosion performance of CdS photocatalysts after monolayer polyaniline hybridization. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2010, 114(13): 5822–5826
Draper W M, Crosby D G. Photochemical generation of superoxide radical anion in water. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1983, 31(4): 734–737
Liu T, Wang L, Lu X, et al. Comparative study of the photocatalytic performance for the degradation of different dyes by ZnIn2S4: Adsorption, active species, and pathways. RSC Advances, 2017, 7(20): 12292–12300
Gulaboski R, Bogeski I, Mirčeski V, et al. Hydroxylated derivatives of dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone as redox switchable earth-alkaline metal ligands and radical scavengers. Scientific Reports, 2013, 3(1): 1865
Samiee F, Pedron F N, Estrin D A, et al. Experimental and theoretical study of the high-temperature UV-visible spectra of aqueous hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2016, 120(40): 10547–10552
Kouras-Hadef S, Amine-Khodja A, Halladja S, et al. Influence of humic substances on the riboflavin photosensitized transformation of 2,4,6-trimethylphenol. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 2012, 229(1): 33–38
Ye X, Wang Z, Ma L, et al. Zinc oxide array/polyurethane nanocomposite coating: Fabrication, characterization and corrosion resistance. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2019, 358: 497–504
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, KSU; KSU CSM Mentor Protégé (BARUAH-01-FY2018-08) award, and Research Stimulus Program (RSP) fund in supporting the research. We also acknowledge Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core of Emory University for its support with electron microscopy images. Special thanks to Dr. Gregory Gabriel for his generous gift of the water-soluble cationic polymers PGON and PAON. B.B. also acknowledges Dr. Mark Mitchell, Department Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, KSU, for his constant support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interests The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baruah, B., Kelley, C., Djokoto, G.B. et al. Polymer-capped gold nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods form binary photocatalyst on cotton fabrics: Catalytic breakdown of dye. Front. Mater. Sci. 15, 431–447 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-021-0565-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-021-0565-5