Obtaining TiO₂ Nanostructures by Electrospinning and Analysis of Absorbance in the UVA Spectrum for Photocatalytic Application

Abstract

The synthesis of fibers by electrospinning allows for obtaining nanostructures of one-dimensional materials with good flexibility, optical and catalytic properties, high surface area and porosity. They can be used in applications such as: catalysts, solar cells, fuel cells, membranes, and hydrogen batteries, among others. Here we emphasize that few reports in the literature describe the existing synergism between the optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂, and the influence of this synergism on the formation of oxygen vacancies, which are responsible for the increase of the photocatalytic activity of this photocatalyst. Therefore, in this work we synthesize TiO₂ nanofibers by electrospinning. These nanofibers were thermally treated between 650°C and 800°C, and characterized according to: morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), crystalline phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoactivity through degradation tests of 125 mL of a sample of 20 ppm methyl orange dye solution and by colorimetry. The results point to the TiO₂ sample heat-treated at 650°C being more effective in the dye degradation and the reflection of different colors, possibly due to the combination of the chemical and physical properties of TiO₂, which at the same time degrade the dye and express variations between different colors.