Controllable fabrication of cadmium phthalocyanine nanostructures immobilized on electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers with high photocatalytic properties under visible light

A novel photocatalyst of nanostructured cadmium phthalocyanine (CdPc) immobilized on the surface of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers had been successfully fabricated by a simple combination of electrospinning technique and the solvent-thermal process. FE-SEM micrographs indicated that the nanostructured CdPc uniformly immobilized on the surface of PAN nanofibers without agglomeration. And the obtained CdPc/PAN composite nanofibers exhibited high visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B. Moreover, this photocatalyst could be easily separated for reuse due to the one-dimensional nanostructural property of the CdPc/PAN composite nanofibers.

Graphical AbstractThe different morphologies of cadmium phthalocyanine (CdPc) nanostructures immobilized on the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers uniformly. And, the CdPc/PAN composite nanofibers photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity could be easily separated and reused.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch Highlights
► Synthesis of CdPc/PAN composite nanofibers are rare in the literature.
► Controllable CdPc nanostructures immobilized on the PAN nanofibers uniformly.
► CdPc/PAN photocatalyst have high visible light photocatalytic activity.
► Easy photocatalyst separation and reuse.