Characterization of TiO2 fibers by combined electrospinning method and hydrothermal reaction

Crystalline TiO2 fibers were fabricated using a hydrothermal reaction or calcination treatment from titanium isopropoxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) fibers prepared using a sol-gel method and an electrospinning technique. The samples were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The TiO2 fiber prepared by hydrothermal reaction than calcinations treatment could be obtained to anatase phase of the small crystallite size. The crystallites size of the hydrothermal-185, calcination-450, and calcination-500 were 6.28, 12.80, and 15.39 nm, respectively. These photocatalysts were evaluated based on the photodecomposition of methylene blue under ultraviolet light. The photocatalytic degradation rate followed a pseudo-first-order equation. The kinetic constant (k(1)) of the hydrothermal-185, calcination-450, and calcination-500 samples were 7.40 x 10(-3), 2.21 x 10(-2), and 1.55 x 10(-2), respectively. The TiO2 fibers prepared using calcination treatment had higher efficiencies than those prepared using a hydrothermal reaction, but the TiO2 fibers prepared without calcination treatment could be used as photocatalysts. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.