The preparation of palladium-modified TiO2 nanofibers and their photocatalytic performance

Palladium-modified TiO2 nanofibers (Pd/TiO(2)NFs) were prepared from PdCl2 and titanate nanotubes by a photodecomposition method. The samples were characterized with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectra. The morphology of the nanotubes was destroyed during the illumination process due to the high activity of titanate nanotubes and the existence of Pd/TiO2 batteries. The photocatalytic activity of the samples for degradation of methyl orange solution was also studied, and high photocatalytic activity was observed. When palladium content was 1.5 wt.%, Pd/TiO(2)NFs showed the highest activity. Crown Copyright (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.