Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanobarbed fibers treated with atmospheric pressure plasma using O2 gas

TiO2 nanobarbed fibers (NBFs) were prepared by growing rutile TiO2 nanorods on anatase TiO2 nanofibers via electrospinning and hydrothermal reaction processes. There was a large increase in the photocatalytic activity of O-2-plasma-treated (OP)-TiO2 NBFs relative to that of the TiO2 NBFs; this is due to the hydroxylation of the surface of the TiO2 NBFs by OP treatment. The repeatability of the photocatalytic activity of the OP-TiO2 NBFs was found to be high and the decolorization rate after ten cycles was 88.3% of the initial value. These results indicate that OP-TiO2 NBFs have great potential for use as a photocatalyst. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3524210]