Synthesis of TiO2/WO3 Composite Nanofibers by a Water-Based Electrospinning Process and Their Application in Photocatalysis

Vincent Otieno Odhiambo; Aizat Ongarbayeva; Orsolya Kéri; László Simon; Imre Miklós Szilágyi

doi:10.3390/nano10050882

Synthesis of TiO₂/WO₃ Composite Nanofibers by a Water-Based Electrospinning Process and Their Application in Photocatalysis

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2020 May 2;10(5):882. doi: 10.3390/nano10050882.

Authors

Vincent Otieno Odhiambo¹, Aizat Ongarbayeva¹, Orsolya Kéri¹, László Simon², Imre Miklós Szilágyi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Szent Gellért tér 4., Hungary.
² Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Budafoki út 8., Hungary.

Abstract

TiO₂/WO₃ nanofibers were prepared in a one-step process by electrospinning. Titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide (TiBALDH) and ammonium metatungstate (AMT) were used as water-soluble Ti and W precursors, respectively. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and varying ratios of TiBALDH and AMT were dissolved in a mixture of H₂O, EtOH and CH₃COOH. The as-spun fibers were then heated in air at 1 °C min^-1 until 600 °C to form TiO₂/WO₃ composite nanofibers. Fiber characterization was done using TG/DTA, SEM-EDX, FTIR, XRD, and Raman. The annealed composite nanofibers had a diameter range of 130-1940 nm, and the results showed a growth in the fiber diameter with an increasing amount of WO₃. The photocatalytic property of the fibers was also checked for methyl orange bleaching in visible and UV light. In visible light, the photocatalytic activity increased with an increase in the ratio of AMT, while 50% TiBALDH composite fibers showed the highest activity among the as-prepared fibers in UV light.

Keywords: ammonium metatungstate; electrospinning; nanofibers; photocatalysis; polyvinylpyrrolidone; titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide.

Abstract

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