Polymer Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Applications

Abstract

In the present comprehensive review we have specifically focused on polymer nanocomposites used as photocatalytic materials in fine organic reactions or in organic pollutants degradation. The selection of the polymer substrates for the immobilization of the active catalyst particles is motivated by several advantages displayed by them, such as: Environmental stability, chemical inertness and resistance to ultraviolet radiations, mechanical stability, low prices and ease availability. Additionally, the use of polymer nanocomposites as photocatalysts offers the possibility of a facile separation and reuse of the materials, eliminating thus the post-treatment separation processes and implicitly reducing the costs of the procedure. This review covers the polymer-based photocatalytic materials containing the most popular inorganic nanoparticles with good catalytic performance under UV or visible light, namely TiO2, ZnO, CeO2, or plasmonic (Ag, Au, Pt, Pd) NPs. The study is mainly targeted on the preparation, photocatalytic activity, strategies directed toward the increase of photocatalytic efficiency under visible light and reuse of the hybrid polymer catalysts.

Comparative Study on the Influence of Noble Metal Nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd) on the Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO NPs Embedded in Renewable Castor Oil Polymer Matrices

“…In the literature, hybrid composites bearing ZnO and noble metal NPs are reported, with good results for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light [45][46][47]. However, up to now, there are only few studies concerning the use of ZnO and noble metal NPs/polymer systems in photocatalysis, especially in visible domain [13,48], despite the great advantages of these catalytic materials such as easy recovery and reusability. First, the photocatalytic performance of our composite films (M1, M1-Ag, M1-Au and M1-Pd) was evaluated in the decomposition of an organic dye, namely methyl orange (MO), under visible light irradiation.…”

Static and Dynamic Behavior of Polymer/Graphite Oxide Nanocomposites before and after Thermal Reduction

“…Examples of such nanoadditives are certain layered materials like clays, graphene-based and/or other 2-D materials, as well as nanoparticles like silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) among others, or tubular materials like carbon nanotubes. One of the most important prerequisites for the utilization of such nanocomposites for the design of innovative materials that could be candidates for advanced applications is the understanding of their structure–dynamics-properties relation [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The way polymer structure and morphology as well as chain conformations are altered in the proximity of the additive surfaces and/or under confinement has been the subject of many investigations since these are among the parameters that define the final properties of such materials; their modification can act synergistically with the reinforcement offered by the nanoparticles [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

The Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue Dye Using CuO/PET Nanocomposite in Aqueous Solutions

“…Binding various materials not only integrate their properties but also produce a new different effect and decrease the limitation features of the single species. The composite nanoparticles have significant application prospects in some major industrial fields, such as manufacturing new functional materials, utilizing a new source of energy effectively, remediating wastewater, and introducing new applications in the biomedicine and food industries [1]. The use of heterogeneous semiconductors nanocomposite as photocatalyst and photoelectrocatalytic has opened an important window on the area of water remediation.…”