Hybrids of Cellulose-TiO2 for Environmental Application

This work is based on the combination of the acid treated-cellulose and chemically adsorbed titanium(IV) oxide on its surface to obtain a hybrid material for application in water treatment to degrade organic compounds. The photocatalytic property was evaluated in the degradation of the methyl orange dye. The photodegradation activity was higher using the hybrid obtained from the cellulose whose hydrolysis was conducted at higher acid concentration, which resulted in smaller fiber diameter, as suggested by scanning electron microscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction confirmed that this hybrid has lower thermal degradation temperature and the size of the cellulose nanocrystals is lower in the more hydrolyzed sample. This allowed the increase of surface area and therefore, the fixation of more nanoparticles of TiO2, which is responsible for the photodegradation activity, observed by the bleaching of a dye solution.