Functionalization of electrospun nanofibers of natural cotton cellulose by cerium dioxide nanoparticles for ultraviolet protection

Abstract

Nanofibers of natural cotton cellulose with a degree of polymerization above 10,000 were prepared by electrospinning; they were then functionalized with a rare‐earth nano‐oxide material of cerium dioxide (CeO2) by means of the hydrothermal method to obtain the designated properties. The morphology, structure, and properties of the as‐obtained nanocomposite fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectrophotometry. The results show that hydrothermally grown CeO2 nanoparticles exhibited a polycrystalline cubic fluorite structure and could be dispersed uniformly on the surface of the cellulose nanofiber. The strong interface and electrostatic interactions between the nanoparticles and nanofibers effectively prevented nanoparticle fall‐off. The modified natural cotton cellulose nanofibers showed excellent protection against UV radiation because of the function of the CeO2 particles. Such cellulose nanocomposite materials could have potential applications in UV protection for data‐storage or memory devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1524–1529, 2013

In2S3 nanoflakes-functionalized cotton cellulose electrospun nanofibers for visible light photocatalysis

“…Energy-dispersive X-ray(EDS) spectrum (Fig.1d) further confirmed that the CCNFs/In 2 S 3 nanocomposites were successfully fabricated, as only the C, In, and S elements existed in the sample and the atom ratio of In and S very close to 2:3. Fig.1 The SEM images of (a) CCNFs, (b) CCNFs/In 2 S 3 seeds, and (c) CCNFs/In 2 S 3 nanocomposites, (d)EDS spectrum of the CCNFs/In 2 S 3 nanocomposites. Fig.2 shows the XRD patterns of as-prepared samples.…”

“…In 2 S 3 seed layer was loaded on the surface of CCNFs by using the successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. In the SILAR process of In 2 S 3 seeds layer deposition, the CCNFs were dipped sequentially in aqueous solutions of 0.1M In(NO 3 ) 3 •xH 2 O and 0.05 M Na 2 S (with pH equal to 8.0) for 1min. Between each dips, the samples were rinsed with deionized water for 1min.…”

“…Then, the In 2 S 3 nanoflakes-functionalized CCNFs were prepared via a traditional hydrothermal process. For a typical reaction, 0.0625 mmol of In(NO 3 ) 3 •xH 2 O, 0.125 mmol of L-cysteine, and 0.125 mmol of urea were added to 20 ml deionized water and ultrasonicated for a five minutes. The resulting mixture was then transferred into a Teflon-lined stainless-steel autoclave (30 ml capacity) and 10mg CCNFs/In 2 S 3 seeds were immersed into the solution.…”

“…The CCNFs can be regarded as a good substrate to load inorganic functional nanomaterials duo to its large specific surface and a lot of hydroxyl groups on its surface. We have combined UV reduction and electrospinning techniques to produce CCNFs/Ag nanocomposites[2] and have prepared CeO 2 nanoparticles on the CCNFs by hydrothermal method, which has fine ultraviolet absorption performance [3].…”

“…The CCNFs can be regarded as a good substrate to load inorganic functional nanomaterials duo to its large specific surface and a lot of hydroxyl groups on its surface. We have combined UV reduction and electrospinning techniques to produce CCNFs/Ag nanocomposites[2] and have prepared CeO 2 nanoparticles on the CCNFs by hydrothermal method, which has fine ultraviolet absorption performance [3].Inorganic semiconductor materials could be loaded on the CCNFs to get nanocomposites with better performance than single semiconductor materials. Among the most widely used inorganic semiconductor materials, In 2 S 3 has many potential applications for photocatalysis to decompose dye and solar cells due to its low toxicity, good stability, narrow band gap (2.0-2.3eV), and high carrier mobility [4].…”