Photocatalytic and antifouling properties of electrospun TiO2 polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers under visible light

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Date

2021

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

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Publisher

Elsevier

Abstract

Polyacrylonitrile and its TiO2 composites were electrospun into nanofibers in N, N’-dimethylformamide for photocatalysis and antifouling experiments. The resultants nanofibers were characterized using field emission scanning microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle analyses. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of polyacrylonitrile-TiO2 composite nanofibers with their diameter ranging from 10 to 340 nm. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate the formation of O–Ti–C bonds on polyacrylonitrile-TiO2 matrix. polyacrylonitrile-TiO2 and polyacrylonitrile nanofiber surfaces showed superhydrophobicity with water contact angle of 155 ± 1 and 154 ± 1, respectively at 120 s. The photocatalytic properties of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers and polyacrylonitrile-TiO2 nanofibers were investigated under a simulated visible light source of 1000 W/m2 using methylene blue. About 90% of methylene blue was degraded within 3 h of exposure using polyacrylonitrile-TiO2 nanofibers while 55% methylene blue degradation was achieved for polyacrylonitrile nanofibers.

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Keywords

Antifouling, Nanofibers, Photocatalysis, Titanium (IV) oxide, Visible light

Citation

Ademola Bode-Aluko, C. et al. (2021). Photocatalytic and antifouling properties of electrospun TiO2 polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers under visible light. Materials Science and Engineering B: Solid-State Materials for Advanced Technology, 264,114913