Immobilization of titania nanoparticles on the surface of cellulose fibres by a facile single step hydrothermal method and study of their photocatalytic and antibacterial activities

Abstract

Cellulose fibers immobilized with 2.5 to 21.0 wt% titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles of diameter 10–20 nm were prepared by a facile single step hydrothermal method. Paper matrices were prepared by a standard handsheet making procedure using these TiO₂ immobilized cellulose fibers. These paper matrices successfully degraded ∼82% of formaldehyde and completely degraded methyl orange in 180 min, when irradiated with sunlight. Moreover, the results improved on increasing either the irradiation time or TiO₂ content. Furthermore, these paper matrices showed promising antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli in visible light. The successful immobilization of TiO₂ nanoparticles on paper matrices was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction studies (XRD).