Modification of Cellulose Nanofibers by ZnO Nanoparticles for Gas Sensing

Abstract

Nanocellulose crystals (NCC) were isolated from the palm fronds by sonication and hydrolyzed processes and modification of them by the prepared ZnO nanoparticles (ZNPs) utilizes pulsed laser ablation in water. NCC:ZNPs layers were fabricated using the spin coating technique. The morphological properties of NCCs and NCC: ZNPs layers were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy and field-effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) respectively. NCC fibers have been shown a long fibrous shape with layer fibrous sheets about 60 nm of thickness consist of nano tapes between 30 nm to 70 nm of width and thickness sequentially. ZNPs clusters appeared clearly in FE-SEM image as individual growths between 20 nm to 240 nm of size and around NCC fibers. The structural properties of prepared layers have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, the domain peak of cellulose is found at 22.54𝑜 mostly. There is increasing in the crystallinity indices with the number of layers were increased in both NCC and NCC: ZNPs films. The sensing of N2, H2 and NH3 gases were measured, generally the sensitivity of gases increased with adding of ZNPs expect N2.