1 research outputs found
Preparation of TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanofibrous Membranes with Hierarchical Porosity for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation
In
order to solve the complex spinneret and unstable structure
of multifludic electrospinning and side-by-side electrospinning, TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers with hierarchical porosity were fabricated via
microemulsion electrospinning, which can be realized just by single-spinneret
electrospinning. The morphology, crystal, and specific surface area
of the TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and physisorption analyzer.
The photocatalytic activities of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers calcined
at 500, 700, and 900 °C were examined. The experimental results
indicated that TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers were hollow, and the wall
of nanofibers possessed abundant mesopores. The specific surface area
of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers calcined at 500 °C was approximately
41.4 m<sup>2</sup>/g, which was favorable for increasing the photocatalytic
reaction sites and the separation efficiency of electron–holes.
The photocatalytic results demonstrated that compared with solid TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers, the photocatalytic activities of the TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers prepared via microemulsion electrospinning were
significantly enhanced. Particularly, the TiO<sub>2</sub> nanofibers
calcined at 500 °C could decompose methyl blue (MB) solution
completely within 70 min. The results verified that microemulsion
electrospinning was indeed a simple, versatile, and convenient method
to prepare porous inorganic nanofibers for various applications