Carbon quantum dots anchored TiO2 nanofibers: Effective photocatalyst for waste water treatment

Carbon quantum dots/titanium dioxide (CQDs/TiO2) composite nanofibers were prepared via a facile one step hydrothermal method. Characterization of the samples was carried out by Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Our study revealed that the photocatalytic efficiency (photodegradation of methylene blue) under visible light irradiation and antibacterial properties (against Escherichia coli) of as prepared composite nanofibers (CQDs/TiO2) are higher than pristine TiO2 nanofibers. The anchored CQDs can both enhance the light absorption and suppress photogenerated electron hole's recombination which results in the enhancement of catalytic and antibacterial properties. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.