Biotemplated synthesis of Ag-ZnO nanoparticles/bacterial cellulose nanocomposites for photocatalysis application

Bacterial cellulose (BC) was used as a biotemplate for facile fabrication of silver-zinc oxide nanoparticles/bacteria cellulose (Ag-ZnO/BC) nanocomposite having high potential application in photocatalysis via a one-step method. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed that BC nanofibers were uniformly coated with Ag-ZnO in aqueous suspension using co-precipitation method. The size of Ag-ZnO nanoparticle in BC and its photodegradability were increased with the increasing concentration of AgNO3 added. The greatest efficiency is demonstrated by the ability of this material to degrade methylene blue (MB) by up to 76% after a 180 min ultraviolet irradiation period, indicated that the Ag-ZnO/BC nanocomposite is a promising candidate as robust ultraviolet responsive photocatalyst.