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

Abstract

TiO 2 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 O2-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.