Abstract
In this paper, we report an antibacterial, recyclable nanocellulose-titanium dioxide/polyester nonwoven fabric (NC-TiO(2)/PET) composite for the highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The NC-TiO(2) was loaded onto the surface of flexible PET nonwoven fabric through a simple swelling and dipping method. The NC-TiO(2) in the particle size range of ~10 nm were uniformly attached to the surface of the PET fibers. The NC-TiO(2)/PET composite has the ability to achieve the stable photocatalytic degradation of dyes and presents antibacterial properties. The degradation rates to methylene blue (MB) and acid red (AR) of the NC-TiO(2)/PET composite reached 90.02% and 91.14%, respectively, and the inhibition rate of Escherichia coli was >95%. After several rounds of cyclic testing, the photocatalytic performance, antibacterial performance, and mechanical stability of the NC-TiO(2)/PET composite remained robust.