Facile Synthesis and Properties of Cu-Based Supported Halloysite Nanotube (HNT) Photocatalysts for Photocatalytic Degradation of Liquid Epoxidized Natural Rubber (LENR)

Abstract

Cu2+-HNT nanocomposite was synthesized via impregnation of CuSO4.5H2O onto halloysite nanotube (HNT). A portion of the nanocomposite was calcined at 550 and 900 °C respectively, to obtain CuO-HNT catalysts. The FTIR, XRD and EDX results reveals the successful formation of nanocomposites. This is consistent with the decrease in the nanocomposite SBET and pore volume for Cu2+-HNT, and CuO-HNT calcined at 550 and 900 °C, respectively, when compared to HNT. Optical properties of both the HNT, and nanocomposites show a decrease in the bandgaps of the nanocomposites. The GPC results of pristine LENR (P-LENR) and photo-degraded LENR showed that LENR treated with calcined CuO-HNT at 550 °C gives lowest LENR molecular weight of 3,105 g/mol compared to 25,732 g/mol of P-LENR with 88 % degradation within 3 hours UV-irradiation. Changes in the functional group of degraded LENR was observed.