Abstract
Nonthermal plasma processing is a chemical-free and environmentally friendly technique to enhance the self-cleaning activity of nanoparticle-coated cotton fabrics. In this research, Sr-doped ZnO/carbon nanotube (CNT) photocatalysts, namely, S(10)ZC(2), S(15)ZC(2), and S(20)ZC(2) with different Sr doping concentrations, were synthesized using the sol-gel method and coated on plasma-functionalized fabric to perform the self-cleaning tests. The fabrics were treated with dielectric barrier discharge plasma in an open environment for 3 min to achieve a stable coating of nanoparticles. The energy band gap of the photocatalyst decreased with an increase in the level of Sr doping. The band gap of S(10)ZC(2), S(15)ZC(2), and S(20)ZC(2) photocatalysts was estimated to be 2.85, 2.78, and 2.5 eV, respectively. The hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO was observed on the fabric surface composited with CNTs and Sr. The S(20)ZC(2) photocatalyst showed better homogeneity and photocatalytic response on the fabric when compared with S(10)ZC(2)- and S(15)ZC(2)-coated fabrics. The S(20)ZC(2) photocatalyst showed 89% dye degradation efficiency after 4 h of light exposure in methylene blue solution, followed by S(15)ZC(2) (84%) and S(10)ZC(2) (80%) photocatalysts.