ZnO-chitosan/Rectorite Nanocomposite Exhibiting High Photocatalytic Activities under Visible-light Irradiation

Chitosan (CS), hydrated zinc acetate, and rectorite (REC) were used as raw materials to prepare CS-embedded zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle by a chemical precipitation process. Hydrogen-bonded REC-loaded ZnO-CS nanoparticle was to form ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite photocatalyst, its morphology and structure were analyzed by means of FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, and TEM. The effects of the catalyst dosage, methyl orange (MO) initial concentration and solution pH on photocatalytic performance were also discussed. The experimental results show that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite has a particle size of 100 nm with good dispersion and uniformity. Under irradiation of visible light, 0.6 g/L photocatalyst was used to degrade MO in solution for 90 min at pH 6, then the MO solution (10 mg/L) was decolored by more than 99%, indicating that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite exhibited highly photocatalytic degradation activity. Therefore, the photodegradation kinetic mechanism of MO in aqueous solution is presumed.