Synthesis,Characterization, and Photocatalytic Properties of Ag/TiO2 Composite Nanofibers Prepared by Electrospinning

Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) embedded titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanofibers were fabricated by colloidal sol process, electrospinning, and calcination technique. Calcination of the electrospun nanofibers were heat treated at 600°C for 180 minutes in air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited that the anatase phase and silver coexisted in the resulted Ag NPs/TiO₂ nanofibers; transmission electron microscopy demonstrated Ag NPs well spread in the porous microstructure of composite fibers. The prepared nanofibers were utilized as photocatalyst for degradation of methyl orange. The degradation rate of methyl orange dye solution containing Ag/TiO₂ composite nanofibers is 99% only after irradiation for 3 hours. It is proposed that these new Ag NPs/TiO₂ composite nanofibers will have potential application in water pollution treatment.      

Silver Nanoparticles Filling in TiO2 Hollow Nanofibers by Coaxial Electrospinning

This study investigated the coaxial electrospinning process of silver filling in TiO₂ ultrafine hollow fibers using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) sol/titanium n-butyloxide (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) and PVP sol/silver nanoparticles as pore-directing agents. The bicomponent fibers were heat treated at 200 °C and calcined at 600 °C. Silver particles having diameters of 5 to 40 nm were deposited on the inner surface of the long hollow TiO₂ nanofibers (outer diameter of 150.300 nm) with mesoporous walls (thickness of 10.20 nm). The morphological structure of the filled ultrafine hollow fibers has been studied by means of infrared (IR) spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The diameters and wall thicknesses of the hollow fibers could be tuned by adjusting the electrospinning parameters. Compared with other nanostructured TiO₂ materials, such as mesoporous Ag-TiO₂ blending fibers, TiO₂ hollow nanofibers, TiO₂ nanofibers, and TiO₂ powders, the silver filled TiO₂ hollow fibers exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of methylene blue.     

Photodegradation of Caffeic Acid in W/O/W Emulsions in the Absence and in the Presence of TiO2

Caffeic acid, a natural phenol with antioxidant and sunscreen activity, can undergo photooxidation upon UV irradiation. The photodegradation of caffeic acid at different concentrations was assessed in water, at pH 4.0 and 6.0, without and with TiO₂. The study was then carried out on W/O/W emulsions entrapping the phenolic acid either in the inner or in the outer aqueous phase in the absence and in the presence of TiO₂, added in the external phase (pH 6.0 or 7.0). The degradation of caffeic acid followed a pseudo-zero order kinetic with an inverse dependence from its initial concentration; at increasing pH of the medium caffeic acid degraded faster. The addition of TiO₂ increased the initial photodegradation rate. Compared with water, W/O/W emulsions protected the phenol towards both the photodegradation and the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. Multiple systems allowed to incorporate caffeic acid and TiO₂ in the same formulation avoiding any catalytic interactions.     

Enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanofibers hybridized with g-C3N4 via electrospinning

TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanofibers with diameter of 100–200 nm were prepared by electrospinning method after calcination at high temperature, using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Melamine (C₃H₆N₆), Ti(OC₄H₉)₄ as raw materials. The composite nanofibers were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, UV–vis and PL respectively. The effects of different g-C₃N₄ contents on structure and photocatalytic degradation of the composite nanofibers were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing g-C₃N₄ content, the diameter of the composite fibers increased and the morphology changed from uniform structure to a nonuniform one, containing beads. The composite nanofibers displayed the best photocatalytic degradation on RhB, when the g-C₃N₄ content was 0.8 wt%. The degree of degradation was up to 99% at the optimal conditions of 40 min. The degradation activity of the composite nanofibers on RhB, MB and MO was found to be higher than that of the TiO₂ nanofibers.     

Formation of appropriate sites on nanofiltration membrane surface for binding TiO2 photo-catalyst: Performance, characterization and fouling-resistant capability

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were assembled on the surface of nanofiltration blend membrane. For settling TiO₂ on the membrane surface, two membrane categories were used: (i) unmodified polyethersulfone (PES)/polyimide (PI) blend membrane, and (ii) –OH functionalized PES/PI blend membrane with different concentrations of diethanolamine (DEA). These membranes were radiated by UV light after TiO₂ depositing with different concentrations. 15 min immersion in colloidal suspension and 15 min UV irradiation with 160 W lamps were used for modification. The modification resulted in the formation of a photo-catalytic property with enhanced membrane hydrophilicity. The self-assembly of TiO₂ nanoparticles was established through coordinance bonds with –OH functional groups on the membrane surface. A comparison between the UV irradiated TiO₂ deposited blend membrane and deposited-functionalized blend membranes showed that –OH groups originate excellent adhesion of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the membrane surface, increase reversible deposition, and diminish irreversible fouling. The membranes were characterized using SEM, FTIR, EDX, contact angle, cross flow filtration, and antifouling measurements. SEM images show that the presence of –OH groups on the DEA-modified membrane surface is the main parameter for extra uniformly settlement of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the membrane surface. This procedure is a superior technique for modification of PES/PI nanofiltration membranes to enhance water flux and minimization membrane fouling.     

Using microwave along with TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> for degradation of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol in aqueous environment

In this project, microwave (MW) irradiation, photolysis, and photo catalyst were used for degradation of 4-chloro-2-nitro phenol (4-C2NP) in aqueous environment. The influence of main operating parameters such as initial pH, initial concentration of 4C2NP, power dissipation and the dosage of TiO2 on the degradation efficiency has been investigated. The optimum conditions was obtained such as initial concentration of 4C2NP at 30 mg L^?1, initial pH at 6, power dissipation at 16 W for UV irradiation, and the amount of TiO₂ at 0.2 g L^?1. The removal of 4C2NP and chemical oxygen demand (COD) after 100 min of reaction in the combined method (MW/UV/TiO₂) was obtained as 80.5% and 47.3%, respectively. Almost all processes are followed from the pseudo first order kinetics and the degradation rate of 4C2NP obeyed the following order: UV/TiO₂/MW > UV/TiO₂ > MW/UV > UV>MW.     

Visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of phenol by polymer-modified semiconductors: Study of the influencing factors and the kinetics

To investigate the influencing factors and the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of phenol, experiments were carried out using conjugated polymer poly(fluorene-co-thiophene) (PFT) sensitized TiO₂ and ZnO under LED (light-emitting diode) lights of the wavelength of 450–475 nm. Influencing factors, such as initial phenol concentration, photocatalyst dosage and pH value on the photocatalytic degradation of phenol were studied in detail. The reaction kinetics was found to follow pseudo first-order law.     

Microstructure of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> hybrid electrospun nanofibers and their application in dye degradation

SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning and applied for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). The phase structure, specific surface area, and surface morphologies of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were characterized through thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), etc. XRD measurements indicated that doping of silica into TiO₂ nanofibers can delay the phase transition from anatase to rutile and decrease the grain size. SEM and BET characterization proved that silica doping can remarkably enhance the porosity of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers. The MB adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were distinguished experimentally. It was found that, although increased silica doping content could enhance the MB adsorption capacity, the intrinsic photocatalytic activity gradually dropped. The SiO₂ (10 %)/TiO₂ composite nanofibers exhibited the highest MB degradation rate, being superior to SiO₂ (20 %)/TiO₂ or pure TiO₂.     

Analysis of preparation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> particles by diffusion flame reactor for photodegradation of phenol and toluene

TiO₂ nanoparticles were produced in the diffusion flame reactor, and the size and anatase/rutile content of TiO₂ were examined by a Particle Size Analyzer and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Increase in fuel/O₂ ratio, initial concentration of TiCl₄ or total gas flow rate causes the larger particle size and the higher rutile composition. The photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ powders were tested on the decompositions of phenol and toluene in the aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The degradation rate increases as the TiO₂ particle size decreases and as the initial concentration of phenol or toluene increases. The photodegradation rate of phenol by TiO₂ particles is higher than that of toluene at the same process conditions. The computational method was used to simulate the gas temperature, velocity and species mass fractions inside the diffusion flame reactor during synthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The measured and simulated temperature results were compared on several positions above the burner and both of them show good agreements. The typical contours of TiCl₄, TiO₂ mass fractions and gas velocities in flame reactor were presented.     

Ce掺杂Bi2MoO6/TiO2纳米纤维异质结的制备及可见光催化性能

以静电纺丝技术制备的TiO_2纳米纤维为基质,通过溶剂热法制备了异质结型稀土Ce掺杂Bi_2MoO_6/TiO_2复合纳米纤维。利用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、透射电镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)以及荧光光谱(PL)等分析测试手段对样品的物相、形貌和光学性能等进行表征。以罗丹明B为模拟有机污染物,研究了样品的可见光催化性能。结果表明:在稀土掺杂样品中,Ce离子进入Bi_2MoO_6晶格,部分取代Bi3+,导致晶胞膨胀,晶格畸变,形成缺陷;与TiO_2复合形成异质结,有利于光生电荷的产生、转移和有效分离,从而提高TiO_2纳米纤维的光催化活性。可见光照射180 min,罗丹明B的降解率达到95.1%。经5次循环光催化降解活性基本不变,样品具有良好的光催化稳定性。     

Ce掺杂Bi2MoO6/TiO2纳米纤维异质结的制备及可见光催化性能

以静电纺丝技术制备的TiO₂纳米纤维为基质,通过溶剂热法制备了异质结型稀土Ce掺杂Bi₂MoO₆/TiO₂复合纳米纤维。利用X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、透射电镜（TEM）、紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）以及荧光光谱（PL）等分析测试手段对样品的物相、形貌和光学性能等进行表征。以罗丹明B为模拟有机污染物,研究了样品的可见光催化性能。结果表明：在稀土掺杂样品中,Ce离子进入Bi₂MoO₆晶格,部分取代Bi³⁺,导致晶胞膨胀,晶格畸变,形成缺陷;与TiO₂复合形成异质结,有利于光生电荷的产生、转移和有效分离,从而提高TiO₂纳米纤维的光催化活性。可见光照射180 min,罗丹明B的降解率达到95.1%。经5次循环光催化降解活性基本不变,样品具有良好的光催化稳定性。     

Controllable Fabrication of TiO2 1D‐Nano/Micro Structures: Solid,Hollow, and Tube‐in‐Tube Fibers by Electrospinning and the Photocatalytic Performance

The solid, hollow, and tube‐in‐tube porous nanofiber structures of TiO₂ are synthesized successfully by a simple non‐coaxial electrospinning method without using a complicated coaxial jet head, combined with adjusting the concentration of the TiO₂ precursor and the pinhole diameter of the jet head and by final calcination. The formation mechanisms of different structured TiO₂ fibers are discussed in detail. This method is facile and effective, and easy to scale up. Furthermore, it is a versatile method for constructing tube‐in‐tube fibers of other metal oxides such as ZrO₂, SiO₂, SnO₂, and In₂O₃. The photocatalytic activity of tubular TiO₂ nanofibers for the degradation of 2‐chlorophenol and 2,4‐dichlorophenol under UV or visible‐light irradiation is better than the one of commercial available TiO₂ powder, rutile, and anatase TiO₂ fibers.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of B,Ce Co-doped TiO2 hollow fibers photocatalyst

A series of B, Ce co-doped TiO₂ (B, Ce-TiO₂) photocatalytic materials with a hollow fiber structure were successfully prepared by template method using boric acid, ammonium ceric nitrate and tetrabutyltitanate as precursors and cotton fibers as template, followed by calcination at 500°C in an N₂ atmosphere for 2 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) were employed to characterize the morphology, crystal structure, surface structure, and optical absorption properties of the samples. The photocatalytic performance of the samples was studied by photodegradation phenol in water under UV light irradiation. The results showed that the TiO₂ fiber materials have hollow structures, and the fiber structure materials showed better photocatalytic properties for the degradation of phenol than pure TiO₂ under UV light. In the experiment condition, the photocatalytic activity of B, Ce co-doped TiO₂ fibers was optimal of all the prepared samples. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of B, Ce co-doped TiO₂ fiber photocatalyst was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ fibers remained above 90% of that of the fresh sample after being used four times. The material was easily removed by centrifugal separation from the medium. It can therefore be potentially applied for the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants.     

超临界 CO2 辅助制备 TiO2 外负载火山岩复合体及其光催化降解亚甲基蓝性能

 以钛酸丁酯为前驱体, 封堵的火山岩为载体, 通过超临界 CO₂ 辅助制备了 TiO₂ 外负载火山岩复合体, 并将其用于光催化降解亚甲基蓝反应, 考察了溶液 pH 值及催化剂浓度对反应性能的影响. 结果表明, TiO₂ 外负载火山岩复合体的光催化性能优于纯 TiO₂ 和 TiO₂ 体负载火山岩复合体. 这是由于外负载复合体对亚甲基蓝的高吸附性、小晶粒尺寸的 TiO₂ 颗粒以及吸附和光催化降解间的协同效应. 亚甲基蓝浓度为 1.5 mg/L, 溶液 pH 为 8, 催化剂浓度为 6.8 mg/L 时, 外负载 TiO₂ 火山岩复合体上亚甲基蓝降解速率最高, 且使用后的催化剂仍具有高的光催化活性.     

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of 3-nitrophenol at surface of Ti/TiO2 electrode

The widely utilization of phenol and its derivatives such as 3-nitrophenol (3-NP) has led to the worldwide pollution in the environment. In this study, Ti/TiO₂ photoelectrode was prepared with anodic oxidation of Ti foil electrode and then the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 3-NP was performed via this electrode, comparing with photocatalytic (PC), electrooxidation and direct photolysis by ultraviolet light. A significant photoelectrochemical synergetic effect in 3-NP degradation was observed on the Ti/TiO₂ electrode and rate constant for the PEC process of Ti/TiO₂ electrode was about three times as high as its PC degradation process. 3-NP concentration monitoring was carried out with differential pulse voltammetry. Results showed that PEC degradation has highest effect on concentration decreasing of 3-NP at solution and degraded it about 38 %, while other processes degradation efficiencies were about 4, 7, and 12 % for electrooxidation, direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradation, respectively. Finally, effects of solution pH and applied potential on degradation efficiency were studied and results showed that optimum pH for degradation is equal 4.00 and optimum potential is 1.2 V vs. Ag|AgCl|KCl (3M) reference electrode.     

Preparation,photocatalytic activity and mechanism of nano-Titania/Nafion hybrid membrane

Nano-Titania/Nafion (TiO₂/Nafion) hybrid membranes were prepared by recasting, using Nafion solution and TiO₂ anatase hydrosol as the raw materials. The microstructure of the hybrid membrane was characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The photocatalytic properties of TiO₂/Nafion hybrid membranes were evaluated. Furthermore, endurance of photocatalytic activity of the hybrid membrane was investigated. The results indicate that the TiO₂ Nanoparticles are bounded to Nafion molecule via Ti-O-S bonds and the formed flocculates are distributed homogeneously throughout the recasting Nafion membrane, while the initial pure anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles remain intact in re-crystallized membrane. The hybrid membranes possessed excellent photocatalytic activities with and without H₂O₂. Moreover, the degradation of photocatalytic activities has been better controlled with the presence of H₂O₂.     

Photocatalysis of low-concentration gaseous organic pollutants over electrospun iron-doped titanium dioxide nanofibers

In this study, iron-doped titania (Fe–TiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared and then coupled to a polymer material as a support to synthesize Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers for photocatalytic degradation of gaseous pollutants (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and o-xylene (BTEX)) at environmental sub-ppm levels. The characteristics of as-prepared photocatalysts were determined by SEM, XRD, and FTIR analyses. Spectral analysis of the as-prepared photocatalysts revealed that they were closely associated with the characteristics of Fe ions for Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies (PDEs) of BTEX determined via Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers varied with the ratios of Fe to Ti, suggesting the presence of an optimal Fe-to-Ti ratio. In addition, the PDEs of BTEX determined via two Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers with low Fe-to-Ti ratios (0.001 and 0.004) were higher than those obtained from the undoped Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers, whereas those of the other two Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers with high Fe-to-Ti ratios (0.008 and 0.012) were lower. The average PDEs of BTEX decreased from 34 to 9%, 68 to 28%, 83 to 45%, and 90 to 55%, respectively, as the stream flow rates increased from 1 to 4 L min⁻¹. These values also decreased with increasing initial concentration (IC). Specifically, at the lowest IC of 0.1 ppm, the average PDEs of BTEX were 33, 68, 83, and 91%, respectively, while they were 5, 8, 12, and 23%, respectively, at the highest IC of 2.0 ppm. Similarly, the PDEs of BTEX decreased significantly as the RH increased. Overall, the electrospun Fe–TiO₂ nanofibers could be used to effectively decompose low-concentration gaseous organic pollutants when operational conditions were optimized.     

Photodegradation of methyl orange from wastewater on TiO2/SnS combined powders

The photodegradation of an aqueous solution of methyl orange by the TiO₂/SnS powders was studied in different ratios of SnS against TiO₂. The effects of the initial pH value and light resource were investigated. The SnS extends the light absorption edge of the TiO₂ to ~940 nm of the SnS (1.32 eV). The results indicated that the optimal SnS proportion for the maximum degradation efficiency increased in relation to a decrease in the initial pH in both sunlight and visible light, and decreased when changing from visible light to sunlight. The pure TiO₂ powder had maximum efficiency in conditions of pH 9 and visible light irradiation or in conditions of pH 7 and sunlight irradiation. In visible light, the degradation efficiency on the powders containing the SnS was larger than that on the pure TiO₂ powder in a range of pH 3–7. The maximum efficiency in visible light was found to be in conditions of pH 5 and TiO₂:SnS = 3:2 and 2:3, beyond which the efficiency decreased. The efficiency was, overall, larger in sunlight than in visible light. The mechanism of the effects of pH and light resource was discussed in view of the surface charge of the catalysts.     

Bi/TiO_2复合纳米纤维制备及可见光催化性能

以电纺TiO_2纳米纤维为基质,EDTA为鳌合剂和吸附剂,采用溶剂热法制备Bi/TiO_2复合纳米纤维光催化材料,利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线能量色散谱(EDS)、透射电镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)和荧光光谱(PL)等分析测试手段对样品的物相、形貌和光学性能等进行表征,以罗丹明B(Rh B)为模拟有机污染物,考察了样品的光催化性能。结果表明:EDTA在复合纳米纤维的合成过程中起到关键作用,通过改变EDTA的用量可以有效控制纤维表面构筑单质Bi纳米球的大小和覆盖密度。所制备的复合纳米纤维具有良好的可见光催化活性和稳定性,当单质Bi的负载量为65%时光催化活性最强,可见光照射180 min,RhB的降解率达到96.40%,循环使用5次降解率仍保持在91%以上。     

钛基TiO2纳米管阵列电极的光电催化性能

应用电化学阳极氧化法在纯Ti基底上制备高度有序的TiO2纳米管阵列,考察了Ti/TiO2光阳极的光电化学响应.以苯酚溶液为目标污染物,研究Ti/TiO2电极的光电催化性能,并与光催化性能进行比较.结果表明,该电极光电催化性能优于光催化性能.施加0.6 V电压时,光电催化性能最好.电化学阻抗谱分析显示,光电催化和光催化降解过程的速控步骤均为表面反应步骤,外加偏压减小了界面电荷转移阻抗,提高了光生载流子的分离效率.