Cellulose/zinc
oxide (ZnO) aerogels are traditionally produced
using methods harmful to the environment because of the acids and
alkalis that are involved in the production process. This study reported
a facile approach for synthesizing cellulose aerogels with uniform
and tunable ZnO nanoparticles that are based on ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium
chloride ([Amim]Cl) and polyhydric alcohol. The entire preparation
process is environmental friendly and controllable. The hybrid aerogels
are lightweight (0.0463 g/cm3) with a high surface area
(267 ± 4 m2/g) and possess great compressive strength
(51.53 N/cm2). Furthermore, the morphology and size of
the ZnO nanoparticles are observed to be tunable; the ZnO nanoparticles
can be uniformly synthesized in situ on the cellulose fibers by adjusting
the concentration of Zn(Ac)2 precursor and the hydrolytic
time. The cellulose/ZnO aerogels exhibit good catalytic efficiency
during the degradation of polyethylene terephthalate and can be directly
taken out without separation for recycling.