Fabrication and characterization of metal-doped TiO2 nanofibers for photocatalytic reactions

Metal (Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+) doped TiO2 nanofibers were fabricated by a sol-gel method and an electrospinning technique using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and titanium isopropoxide as precursors. Co, Ni, and Zn were found to promote the anatase-rutile (A-R) phase transformation, whereas Zn inhibited this process. The as-prepared catalysts were evaluated in the photodecomposition of methylene blue under UV light. Ni- and Zn-doped TiO2 nanofibers were found to be more efficient than pure TiO2 nanofibers in this reaction. The photocatalytic degradation rate fitted a pseudo-first-order equation. Zn-doped TiO2 nanofibers were found to be promising materials for the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue with a kinetic constant of 0.0240 min(-1). (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.