Sol-gel Preparation of CNT/ZnO Nanocomposite and Its Photocatalytic Property

Using carbon nanotubes (CNT) as templete, CNT/ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by a sol-gel method. Its structure was characterized by XRD, IR and TEM. The UV absorbing properties were detected by a UV spectrophotometer. Photo degradation of methyl red in aqueous solution was investigated by using CNT/ZnO nanocomposite as photocatalyst. The results showed that the nanocomposite was composed of carbon nanotubes coated evenly by ZnO particles, with a diameter of 50-60 nm. UV-vis spectra indicated that the as-prepared CNT/ZnO nanocomposite had absorption of visible light as well as ultraviolet light. 60% CNT-added nanocomposite had the highest degradation rate for methyl red under the sunlight irradiation.