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Surface-deposited nanofibrous TiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

  • Original Paper: Nano-structured materials (particles, fibers, colloids, composites, etc.)
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Abstract

Photocatalysis is considered as an environment-friendly process able to decompose organic pollutants and increasingly applied to water and air purification. Photocatalysts having the morphology of a fibrous layer are attractive candidates for practical applications due to their high structural dimensionality and improved photocatalytic performance. This paper describes the production and characterization of supported TiO2 nanofibre layers, produced by electrospinning process and deposited on a glass plate via solvent evaporation. The obtained structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmittance electron microscopies, and ellipsometry. Depending on calcination temperature, fibres contained anatase or anatase and rutile crystal phases of TiO2. The supported nanofibres formed a compact but fenestrate layer. The catalytic activity was determined by the decomposition of methylene blue and oxalic acid under UV light. The nanofibre layer proved as a competitive catalyst media based on structural properties and the degradation efficiency of several organic pollutants.

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Acknowledgements

Partly supported by EnePRO—a company of advanced energy services. The authors are grateful to the group of Assoc. Prof. S. Kegnæs, CSC at Technical University of Denmark, Assoc. Prof. R. Kriukiene at Lithuanian Energy Institute, Assoc. Prof. T. Malinauskas, Department of Organic Chemistry at Kaunas University of Technology, PhD student Justina Gaidukevic, Department of Inorganic Chemistry at Vilnius University, for the help with analysis of material morphologies. Special thanks for M. Tichonovas, Department of Environmental Technology at Kaunas University of Technology for the comprehensive assistance in the development of electrospinning setup, as well as visiting scientists B. Ozdogan and C. Ozgur from Suleyman Demirel University for assistance in laboratory procedures.

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  1. Faculty of Chemical Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu road 19, LT-50254, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Ruta Sidaraviciute, Edvinas Krugly, Lauryna Dabasinskaite, Eugenijus Valatka & Dainius Martuzevicius

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  1. Ruta Sidaraviciute
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  2. Edvinas Krugly
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Correspondence to Ruta Sidaraviciute.

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Sidaraviciute, R., Krugly, E., Dabasinskaite, L. et al. Surface-deposited nanofibrous TiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 84, 306–315 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-017-4505-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-017-4505-x

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