Preparation and Photocatalytic Properties of TiO_2/SiO_2 Composite Nanofibers

摘要

(1-x)SiO_2/(x)TiO_2 composite micro/nano scale fibers with various compositions were successfully prepared by electrospinning their sol-gel precursors of titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TiP), and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), followed by calcinations. Any gelator or binder was not used in this direct preparation process for composite fibers. The surface morphology and structure of sintered composite fibers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The crystallization behavior and surface morphology of the as-spun fibers were largely influenced by the calcination temperature and the content of TiO_2. The photocatalytic activity of SiO_2/TiO_2 composite fibers was examined by UV/VIS-DRS spectra. The experiments demonstrated that the MB in aqueous solution was successfully photodegraded using SiO_2/TiO_2 composite nanofibers under UV-visible light irradiation.