Decoration of phthalocyanine on multiwalled carbon nanotubes/cellulose nanofibers nanocomposite for decoloration of dye wastewater

Abstract We describe the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) into cellulose nanofibers for the subsequent functionalization of cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine (CoPc) catalyst. MWNT doped cellulose acetate nanofiber mats (MWNT/CA-NM) was prepared by electrospinning MWNT-cellulose acetate mixed solution. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the morphologies of nanofibers and the aligned distribution of MWNT along the nanofiber axis. Both the thermal stability and the mechanical properties of nanofibers were significantly improved with increased MWNT concentration. CoPc was covalently immobilized onto the surface of nanofibers after MWNT/CA-NM was hydrolyzed with KOH, oxidized with NaIO 4 , and spacer-arm attached with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), using glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. The resulting cellulose nanofiber-based functional nanomaterial, MWNT doped, CoPc functionalized cellulose nanofiber mats (MWNT/CoPc-spacer-NM), can efficiently decolorize reactive dye wastewater, and the introduction of MWNT obviously improved the catalytic efficiency of CoPc. Ultraviolet–visible light spectroscopy (UV) and fluorescence spectroscopy (FL) experiments identified the communication between the CoPc and the MWNT, which might be responsible for the improvement of catalytic activity.