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Partially conjugated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC)-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by heating the composite of polyvinyl chloride and TiO 2 nanoparticles in air at 150 °C for 1 h (the optimal heating duration among the investigated 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h to obtain the most efficient CPVC/TiO 2 composite). The characterization results from X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of TiO 2 nanoparticles modified with CPVC. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra indicated that the as-synthesized CPVC-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles had remarkable visible-light-absorbing ability. The photocatalytic experiments demonstrated that the as-synthesized CPVC-modified TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibited high photocatalytic activity in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) under visible-light ( λ >420 nm) irradiation, whereas sole CPVC and TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibited no photocatalytic activity in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) under visible-light ( λ >420 nm) irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication reports the development of a new efficient visible-light-driven composite photocatalyst comprising ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles and conjugated polymer (CPVC) from the dehydrochlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). ZnFe 2 O 4 /CPVC nanocomposites were synthesized via three main steps: (i) the synthesis of ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles by a sol-gel method; (ii) the adsorption of PVC in tetrahydrofuran solution by ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles to form ZnFe 2 O 4 /PVC nanocomposites; and (iii) the dehydrochlorination of PVC in the ZnFe 2 O 4 /PVC nanocomposites by heating at 150 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization revealed that the as-synthesized product was core/shell structured ZnFe 2 O 4 /CPVC nanocomposites. The photocatalytic results demonstrated that the ZnFe 2 O 4 /CPVC nanocomposites had much higher photocatalytic activity than ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) under visible-light (λ>420 nm) irradiation. Thus, ZnFe 2 O 4 /CPVC nanocomposites are promising for use as a new efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]