Suppression of charge recombination using microfibrillated cellulose in carboxymethyl cellulose coatings containing ZnO nanorods and BiOCl during photoelectrocatalysis

Lim NYY 1 , Chiam SL 1 , Leo CP 2 , Pung SY 3 , Chang CK 4 , Ang WL 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 2 School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Electronic address: chcpleo@usm.my
  • 3 School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 4 River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Int J Biol Macromol, 2025 Mar 22;308(Pt 1):142421.
PMID: 40127804 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.142421

Abstract

Photocatalysts have been extensively developed as they can degrade various water pollutants under light irradiation without chemical consumption. However, photocatalyst reusability and uniform light distribution still limit the scaling up of photocatalytic processes. This study investigated the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) system removal of dye using zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs) and bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) immobilized in the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating containing microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). The photocatalytic properties were significantly enhanced by the presence of MFC with 3D fibrous network that could disperse the photocatalyst, reduce recombination, and promote charge migration. The MFC/ZnONRs/BiOCl/CMC coating worked as a photoanode, which removed 78 % of methylene blue (MB) dye within 60 min under UV light irradiation and a low voltage of 2.5 V.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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