Synthesis of chrysotile based nanocomposites for tuning band gap and photocatalytic property

A novel type of chrysotile@ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by ZnO nanoparticles generated on the surface of chrysotile to improve its utility and tune the band gap and property of ZnO nanoparticles. XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, PL and UV-vis were used to study the phase, morphology, microstructure and properties of the nanocomposite. The study of its photo-degradation performance took methylene blue (MB) as an organic dye model. Compared with chrysotile and ZnO nanoparticles, chrysotile@ZnO nanocomposite has a narrower band gap (1.91 eV) and stronger photo-catalytic activity. The results showed that the synergistic effect of surface passivation and interfacial action of chrysotile reduced the band gap and photon-hole recombination rate of ZnO nanoparticles, to enhance photo-degradability of organic pollutants and meanwhile endowed chrysotile with new performance. This work is novel and can be used as a basic experimental reference for the functionalization of clay minerals and the development of highly active supported catalysts.