Hierarchical-structured anatase-titania/cellulose composite sheet with high photocatalytic performance and antibacterial activity.

Bulk hierarchical anatase-titania/cellulose composite sheets were fabricated by subjecting an ultrathin titania gel film pre-deposited filter paper to a solvo-co-hydrothermal treatment by using titanium butoxide as the precursor to grow anatase-titania nanocrystallites on the cellulose nanofiber surfaces. The titanium butoxide specie is firstly absorbed onto the nanofibers of the cellulose substance through a solvothermal process, which was thereafter hydrolyzed and crystallized upon the subsequent hydrothermal treatment, leading to the formation of fine anatase-titania nanoparticles with sizes of 2-5 nm uniformly anchored on the cellulose nanofibers. The resulting anatase-titania/cellulose composite sheet shows a significant photocatalytic performance towards degradation of a methylene blue dye, and introduction of silver nanoparticles into the composite sheet yields an Ag-NP/anatase-titania/cellulose composite material possessing excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.