Suppression of charge recombination using microfibrillated cellulose in carboxymethyl cellulose coatings containing ZnO nanorods and BiOCl during photoelectrocatalysis

Photocatalysts have been extensively developed as they can degrade various water pollutants under light irradiation without chemical consumption. However, photocatalyst reusability and uniform light distribution still limit the scaling up of photocatalytic processes. This study investigated the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) system removal of dye using zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs) and bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) immobilized in the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating containing microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). The photocatalytic properties were significantly enhanced by the presence of MFC with 3D fibrous network that could disperse the photocatalyst, reduce recombination, and promote charge migration. The MFC/ZnONRs/BiOCl/CMC coating worked as a photoanode, which removed 78 % of methylene blue (MB) dye within 60 min under UV light irradiation and a low voltage of 2.5 V.