Photocatalytic Self-Cleaning of Cotton Fabrics Treated with ZnO and Gd Doped ZnO

AA Emam, EA Mussa, AY Abdel-Al

Abstract

To enable photocatalytic self-cleaning cotton fabrics working under UV irradiation, ZnO and 2wt%Gd doped ZnO nanopartecle are synthesized using precipitation method. The morphology, optical and microstructure were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attached with EDX Unit. Moreover, the morphology of ZnO and 2wt% Gd doped ZnO were studied by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the functional groups for each ZnO and 2wt% Gd doped ZnO were studied using FTIR spectroscopy. According to the characterizations all nanoparticles are spherical in shape with hexagonal wurtzite structure. However, the cotton fabrics functionalized with 2wt% Gd doped ZnO are significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for C.I Reactive red 195 (RR195) degradation.