TiO₂ quantum dots nanocoated soybean protein knitted fabric produced by layer-by-layer nanoarchitectonics for wastewater application potential

This study the layer-by-layer self-assembly (lbl) technique was used for nanocoating of titanium dioxide quantum dots (TiO₂QDs) on the soybean protein knitted (SPK) fabric. Chitosan was employed as cation agent for the electrostatic assembly. The synthesized TiO₂QDs powder and TiO₂QDs nanocoated SPK fabrics were evaluated by means of the characterization of their morphological, chemical, optical, and photocatalytic properties. XRD and HRTEM images showed that sol–gel synthesis provided TiO₂QDs with anatase phase and mean particle size of 6 nm. As well as the XPS and FESEM spectra confirmed the TiO₂QDs nanocoating on SPK fabric surface, which allowed the evaluation of its photocatalytic properties. The SPK fabric was nanocoated with TiO₂QDs after 20 lbl cycles obtained the best result, degrading 99 % of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye in 120 min under UV irradiation. Simultaneously, 88.26 % of TOC removal efficiency also achieved in 120 suggestion that the mineralization was superior, as HPLC results corroborate. Besides the degradation efficiency, the potential of reusability of functionalize fabrics was suggested showing high photocatalytic activity even after six cycles of reuse.