Electrospinning Equipment for Research| Innovative ag-AgCl@TiO,@cellulosenanofiber porous composites with Z-schemeheterojunction for enhanced adsorption andphotocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde

Prof. Shifeng Zhang from Beijing Forestry University: Cellulose-Based Materials with High Adsorption-Photocatalytic Synergistic Formaldehyde Degradation Performance

Formaldehyde, as a common indoor pollutant, has raised serious concerns. Current formaldehyde treatment technologies face dual dilemmas: traditional adsorption materials easily reach saturation, while photocatalytic materials suffer from deactivation, low efficiency, and poor recyclability. Therefore, developing a multidimensional synergistic formaldehyde treatment system is of significant research importance.

Recently, Prof. Shifeng Zhang's team at Beijing Forestry University published their latest research titled "Innovative Ag-AgCl@TiO2@cellulose nanofiber porous composites with Z-scheme heterojunction for enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde" in Carbohydrate Polymers. The researchers innovatively constructed a ternary Z-scheme heterojunction system of Ag-AgCl/TiO2/CNF through physical/chemical dual crosslinking, photoreduction, and freeze-drying techniques, achieving outstanding adsorption-photocatalytic synergistic formaldehyde degradation performance.The composite material demonstrated a maximum photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 99.54%, maintaining 99.07% efficiency after 5 cycles. Compared with similar materials, it leads in degradation rate, maximum efficiency, and recyclability. 

Fig. 1: Preparation flowchart of Ag-AgCl@TiO2@cellulose nanofiber porous composites

Fig. 2: Formaldehyde degradation performance under light irradiation

 AAT15C showed significantly improved formaldehyde removal rate (2.84% higher than AT15C) and achieved re-degradation at low formaldehyde concentrations. At 50, 100, and 150 minutes, AAT15C's degradation rates were 58.03%, 8.53%, and 4.83% faster than AT15C respectively

Fig. 3: Photocatalytic degradation mechanism of formaldehyde by porous composites

During photocatalysis, the continuous decomposition of adsorbed formaldehyde molecules disrupted adsorption equilibrium, promoting rapid migration from high to low concentration areas on the porous composite surface. The strong adsorption capacity of Ag-AgCl@TiO2@CNF significantly accelerated formaldehyde accumulation, enhancing photocatalytic performance and achieving degradation through adsorption-photocatalysis synergy.