Flexible 3D ZnO/Polymer Composite by Simple-Step Growth Processing for Highly Photocatalytic Performance

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most powerful materials for purifying organic pollutants using photocatalytic activity. In this study, we have introduced a novel method to design highly photoreactive flexible 3 dimensional (3D) ZnO nanocomposite [F-ZnO-m (m: reaction time, min)] by electrospinning and simple-step ZnO growth processing (one-step ZnO seed coating/growth processing). Significantly, the F-ZnO-m could be a new platform (or candidate) as a photocatalytic technology for both morphology control and large-area production. The highest photocatalytic degradation rate ([k]) was observed for F-ZnO-m at 2.552 h-1, which was 8.1 times higher than that of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs; [k] = 0.316 h-1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity of F-ZnO-m may be attributed to factors such as large surface area. The F-ZnO-m is highly recyclable and retained 98.6% of the initial decolorization rate after fifteen cycles. Interestingly, the F-ZnO-m samples show very strong antibacterial properties against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) after exposure to UV-light for 30 min. The antibacterial properties of F-ZnO-m samples are more effective than those of ZnO NPs. More than 96.6% of the E. coli is sterilized after ten cycles. These results indicate that F-ZnO-m samples might have utility in several promising applications such as highly efficient water/air treatment and inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms.