Towards methyl orange degradation by direct sunlight using coupled TiO₂ nanoparticles and carbonized cotton T-shirt

TiO₂ nanoparticles are successfully synthesized on carbonized cotton T-shirt through a low-cost hydrothermal process. The photocatalytic performance of the fabricated hybrid material system is examined by the degradation of methyl orange (MO). It is shown that 98.6% MO in solution can be decomposed within thirty minutes by direct natural sunlight, demonstrating better photodegradation efficiency than TiO₂, doped TiO₂, and other semiconductor nanoparticles. The stability of this hybrid photocatalyst is also quite attractive. After ten cycles of usage, it can still degrade up to 93% of MO in solutions. The anchoring of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the framework of carbonized cotton T-shirt creates a unique architecture overcoming the difficulty of dispersing and recycling nanoparticle photocatalysts. It also introduces beneficial synergistic effects such as carbon doping and enhanced charge migration, making it very promising for the practical application of degrading water-borne, organic contaminants.