In this study, a series of AgCl/ZnO-loaded nanofibrous membranes were prepared using coaxial electrospinning. Their physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, IR, PL, and UV-visible spectrometer, and the photocatalytic experiments using methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant. The formation of AgCl/ZnO heterojunction and the structure of core-shell nanofibers with porous shell layer were confirmed. AgCl/ZnO photocatalysts were also effectively loaded onto the surfaces of the porous core-shell nanofibers. The results of photocatalytic experiments revealed that the AgCl/ZnO (MAgCl:MZnO = 5:5)-loaded nanofibrous membrane achieved a degradation efficiency of 98% in just 70 min and maintained a photocatalytic efficiency exceeding 95% over the first five experimental cycles, which successfully addressed the issues of photocatalytic efficiency loss during the photodegradation of MB with AgCl/ZnO nanoparticles as photocatalyst. The photodegradation mechanism was also researched and proposed.
Keywords: AgCl/ZnO heterojunction; core–shell nanofibers; electrospinning; photodegradation; porous membranes.