Effective Optical Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites Based on a Carbon Nanotubes-Organic–Inorganic Nanohybrid for Industrial Pollutant Removal

Improving the optical properties of zinc oxide to meet the practical requirements of photocatalytic reactions and<br/>solar cells is an ongoing challenge. To address this challenge, different nanostructures of ZnO were prepared<br/>from an organic–inorganic-CNTs nanohybrid. The nanohybrid was formed through intercalation of the long chain<br/>fatty acid C17H35COOH and carbon nanotubes into Zn–Al nanolayered structures. X-ray diffraction revealed<br/>an increase in the interlayer spacing of the Zn–Al layered double hydroxides from 0.75 nm to 2.1 nm after<br/>admixing with the CNTs and organic fatty acid. Thermal analyses and FTIR confirmed the formation of the<br/>CNTs–C18–Zn–Al nanohybrid. Three different thermal treatments were used to transform the nanohybrid into<br/>nanostructures of doped zinc oxide nanoparticles and zinc aluminum oxide nanocomposites. As a result of<br/>changes in the nano size and structure, the band gap energy of the products decreased from 3.3 eV to<br/>1.8 eV, to give efficient photocatalysts. The nanomaterials were used to purify water through the photocatalytic<br/>degradation of colored pollutants under UV light. A kinetic study showed that water purification was achieved<br/>within a short time, demonstrating the effectiveness of the nanomaterials. The nanohybrid and its derivatives<br/>are attractive materials for designing-efficient photocatalysts for pollutant degradation.