Polydopamine-induced in-situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8/TiO2 nanoparticles on cotton fabrics for photocatalytic performance

Excellent photocatalytic activity was achieved on textiles via polydopamine-assisted deposition of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8)/TiO2 composite nanoparticles. Cotton fabrics as the substrate were templated with polydopamine followed by in-situ deposition of ZIF-8/TiO2 photocatalysts. The heterogeneous nucleation growth of ZIF-8 was effectively improved by the chelation effects between polydopamine and Zn2+. SEM, FTIR, XPS, XRD, and TG analysis were employed to study the morphology, chemical constituent, micro-structure and thermal stability of ZIF-8/TiO2 deposited fabrics. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra have indicated that the composite structure is beneficial in improving the charge transfer ability and decreasing the re-union rate of photogenerated electron pair holes. The mechanism was proposed to reveal both the in-situ deposition of nanocomposites on fiber surface and photocatalytic activity. The ZIF-8/TiO2 deposited cotton fabrics exhibit good photocatalytic activity and recyclability leading to potential industrial wastewater treatment applications.

Automated summary

Polydopamine-assisted deposition of ZIF-8/TiO2 composite nanoparticles on textiles resulted in excellent photocatalytic activity. Various analytical techniques confirmed the benefits of the composite structure in improving charge transfer and reducing re-union rate, leading to potential industrial wastewater treatment applications.