3D structured nanocomposites by FDM process: a novel approach for large-scale photocatalytic applications

In this work, we report for the first time the fabrication of nanocomposite polystyrene filaments enriched with ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles with mass concentrations up to 20%w/w, and the production of 3D photocatalytic structures using a typical FDM-type 3D printer. We provide evidence that the fabricated 3D structures offer promising photocatalytic properties, reaching an efficiency of almost 70% after five cycles of reuse in 20 ppm of Methylene Blue aqueous solution, under UV irradiation. Thus, a novel low-cost alternative route for fabricating large-scale photocatalysts, suitable for practical real-life applications, is proposed.