Development of non-covalent triazine framework decorated carbon nanotube as a photocatalyst support for methylene blue dye degradation

Abstract Non-covalent triazine framework decorated carbon nanotube were prepared by using cyanuric chloride (CC) and biphenyl (BP) and carbon nanotube (CNT) by Friedel-Crafts reaction. The prepared poly(cyanuric chloride-co-biphenyl)-carbon nanotube (Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT) composite is used as a supporting materials for photocatalyst towards methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. Zinc sulphide (ZnS) and Zinc sulphide-Tin sulphide (ZnS-SnS) nanoparticles were doped on the surface of poly(cyanuric chloride-co-biphenyl)-carbon nanotube (Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT) composite by using aqueous plant extract of Vanda Testacea as reducing agent. The ZnS/Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT and ZnS-SnS/Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT photocatalyst were analyzed using UV-DRS, PL, XRD, EDX and TEM methods. The durability of the prepared photocatalyst were tested using methylene blue dye under different UV light sources and sun light. The photocatalytic activity of ZnS-SnS/Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT photocatalyst is found to be higher than ZnS/Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT, unsupported ZnS and ZnS-SnS photocatalyst towards MB dye. This confirms that prepared ZnS-SnS/Poly(CC-co-BP)-CNT photocatalyst is effective for the removal of the methylene blue dye from waste water.