Nanotitania-coated multi-walled carbon nanotube composite by facile colloidal processing route for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and titanium dioxide nanocomposites (MWCNTs/TiO2) were fabricated by a simple novel colloidal processing route and tested as a photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The novel idea behind this work is to make MWCNTs and TiO2 nanoparticle suspensions separately highly oppositely charged and utilize the electrostatic force of attraction between two entities to deposit nanotitania onto MWCNTs surface. Particle charge detector, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-rays, X-rays diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the composite. XRD and Raman spectroscopic analysis showed the crystalline structure of deposited TiO2 over MWCNTs surface structure as anatase phase. It was found that MWCNTs/TiO2 composite structure have much higher photocatalytic activity compared to TiO2 nanoparticles. The composite material developed may find potential applications in the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous medium under UV irradiation.