Synthesis of High aspect ratio CdTiO3 nanofibers via electrospinning: characterization and photocatalytic activity

We for the first time report CdTiO3 nanofibers as an effective photocatalyst for the photodegradation of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye. One-dimensional CdTiO3 nanofibers with high aspect ratio have been successfully synthesized by the sol-gel electrospinning technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),UV-vis diffuse reflectance (DR) and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the synthesized nanofibers. The photocatalytic activity of the electrospun CdTiO3 was evaluated by performing photodegradation of R6G dye under UV light irradiation. Our results indicated that the CdTiO3 fibers were in nanometer scale with diameters ranging from of 350-400 nm which consisted of rhombohedral structure. The superior photocatalytic activity of the CdTiO3 nanofibers calcined at 800 degrees C for the degradation of R6G dye could be attributed to the high degree of crystallinity and absorption properties of the samples synthesized at high temperature. This study indicates the potential use of high aspect ratio CdTiO3 nanofibers for removal of industrial pollutants and noxious wastes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.