Agricultural Waste-Derived Cellulose/ZnO Composites: Dual Photocatalytic and Adsorptive Action for Textile Dye Removal

Abstract

The synthesis of cellulose extracted from agricultural waste, specifically almond and fig tree trimmings, and its combination with ZnO nanoparticles to form cellulose/ZnO composites was studied. These adsorbents/photocatalysts were fully characterized, confirming not only the effective deposition of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the cellulose surface but also the improvement in homogeneity and lower agglomeration and size of ZnO particles grown on these fibers (crystallites were 43 ± 12 nm for pristine ZnO and 13–26 nm for composites). The efficacy of these composites was evaluated against methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and bromophenol blue (BB), this study being the first time that BB removal results have been reported using dual photo-adsorptive cellulosic composites. After 20 min, removals of approximately 45% were achieved for the anionic dyes MO and BB under UV light and up to 65% for MB with either applied radiation, indicating a clear adsorption mechanism for this cationic dye. A reusability study was conducted for the BB removal system, with only a 15–19% loss in BB removal capacity under UV irradiation after the third reuse. These results demonstrated the potential and efficiency of cellulose/ZnO composites as promising photocatalysts for textile wastewater treatment, providing a sustainable and interesting approach to mitigate dye pollution.