Fabric-based composite materials containing ZnO-NRs and ZnO-NRs-AuNPs and their application in photocatalysis

This work demonstrates immobilization of ZnO nanorods (ZnO-NRs) on the cotton fabric (CF) and subsequent modification of the ZnO-NRs with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). AuNPs was ex-situ synthesized using citrate method followed by deposition of the same on ZnO-NRs immobilized on CF thereby generating CF@ZnO-NRs and CF@ZnO-NRs-AuNPs composites materials. The surface morphology of these composite materials probed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), XRD analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of a model dye molecule in the presence of these composites materials scrutinized by UV-visible spectroscopy. The designed flexible composites materials demonstrated superior photocatalytic dye degradation and outstanding recyclability.