Graphene wrapped porous tubular rutile TiO2 nanofibers with superior interfacial contact for highly efficient photocatalytic performance for water treatment

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) wrapped tubular and porous rutile TiO2 nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning together with the help of easy chemical methods. Controlled electrospinning produced pores (30-60) nm on the side walls of the tubular nanofibers. Structural and morphological results demonstrate the success of wrapping by rGO. The specific surface area measurement revealed a high surface area of 232.3 m(2) g(-1) for the composite nanofibers. Control over the composition of the composites leads to an efficient photogenerated charge carrier separation and reduced electron-hole recombination rate. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of the composites was, enhanced compare to bare porous tubular nanofibers (PTNF). Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity of the composites enhanced greatly compare to only TNFs due to porous and tubular structures of the nanofibers and also to the high surface area of rGO. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.