Functionalization of Electrospun TiO₂ Nanofibers with Pt Nanoparticles and Nanowires for Catalytic Applications

TLDR

Functionalized TiO₂ nanofiber membranes with Pt nanoparticles and nanowires are promising for various catalytic applications. The study aims to develop a simple method to functionalize anatase TiO₂ nanofibers with Pt nanoparticles followed by Pt nanowires. An electrospun nonwoven mat of TiO₂ nanofibers is calcined at 510 °C, then immersed in a polyol reduction bath to deposit 2–5 nm Pt nanoparticles, after which Pt nanowires (~7 nm diameter, up to 125 nm long) are grown at high density on the scaffold. The resulting Pt‑decorated TiO₂ membranes exhibit excellent catalytic activity for azo bond hydrogenation in methyl red, operating continuously at a flow rate of 0.5 mL s⁻¹.

Abstract

This paper reports a simple procedure for derivatizing the surface of anatase TiO2 nanofibers with Pt nanoparticles and then Pt nanowires. The nanofibers were prepared in the form of a nonwoven mat by electrospinning with a solution containing both poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and titanium tetraisopropoxide, followed by calcination in air at 510 °C. The fiber mat was then immersed in a polyol reduction bath to coat the surface of anatase fibers with Pt nanoparticles of 2−5 nm in size with controllable density of coverage. Furthermore, the coated fibers could serve as a three-dimensional scaffold upon which Pt nanowires of roughly 7 nm in diameter could be grown at a high density and with a length up to 125 nm. The fiber membranes functionalized with Pt nanoparticles and nanowires are interesting for a number of catalytic applications. It was found to show excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of azo bonds in methyl red, which could be operated in a continuous mode by passing the dye solution through the membrane at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/s.