TiO2/graphene oxide immobilized in P(VDF-TrFE) electrospun membranes with enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic performance

Here, we report on the electrospinning of poly(vinylidene difluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer fibrous membranes decorated with titanium dioxide/graphene oxide (TiO2/GO). The presence of the TiO2/GO increases the photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposite membrane towards the degradation of methylene blue (MB) when compared with the membranes prepared with naked TiO2, in UV and particularly in the visible range. Even a low content (3 %, w/w) of TiO2/GO in the fibers yields excellent photocatalytic performance by degrading ~100 % of a MB solution after 90 min of visible light exposure. This may be attributed to a rapid electron transport and the delayed recombination of electron–hole pairs due to improved ionic interaction between titanium and carbon combined with the advantageous electric properties of the polymer, such as high polarization and dielectric constant combined with low dielectric loss. Thus, a promising system to degrade organic pollutants in aqueous or gaseous systems under visible light irradiation has been developed.

[1]  S. Chai,et al.  Heteroatom doped graphene in photocatalysis: A review , 2015 .

[2]  Mahesh Kumar Joshi,et al.  Immobilization of TiO2 nanofibers on reduced graphene sheets: Novel strategy in electrospinning. , 2015, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[3]  De-yan Han,et al.  Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Powders (P25) via Calcination Treatment , 2012 .

[4]  Wanzhen Xu,et al.  Recent progress in enhancing photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2-based materials , 2015 .

[5]  Jiaguo Yu,et al.  Effects of pH on the microstructures and photocatalytic activity of mesoporous nanocrystalline titania powders prepared via hydrothermal method , 2006 .

[6]  Hyunwoong Park,et al.  Surface modification of TiO2 photocatalyst for environmental applications , 2013 .

[7]  M. Kumaravel,et al.  Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by reduced graphene oxide in mineralization of Rhodamine B dye , 2015 .

[8]  S. Doh,et al.  Development of photocatalytic TiO2 nanofibers by electrospinning and its application to degradation of dye pollutants. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[9]  I. Salzmann,et al.  Toward a comprehensive understanding of molecular doping organic semiconductors (review) , 2015 .

[10]  Xuandong Li,et al.  Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Titanium Dioxide: Modification with Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide , 2014 .

[11]  Zhenwu Lu,et al.  Design of Novel Compound Fresnel Lens for High-Performance Photovoltaic Concentrator , 2012 .

[12]  J. Coelho,et al.  Release of Volatile Compounds from Polymeric Microcapsules Mediated by Photocatalytic Nanoparticles , 2013 .

[13]  Can Li,et al.  Importance of the relationship between surface phases and photocatalytic activity of TiO2. , 2008, Angewandte Chemie.

[14]  S. Irusta,et al.  Improving Photocatalytic Performance and Recyclability by Development of Er-Doped and Er/Pr-Codoped TiO2/Poly(vinylidene difluoride)–Trifluoroethylene Composite Membranes , 2014 .

[15]  Seeram Ramakrishna,et al.  Facile fabrication of TiO2-graphene composite with enhanced photovoltaic and photocatalytic properties by electrospinning. , 2012, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[16]  Yuan-Cheng Cao,et al.  Reduced graphene oxide supported titanium dioxide nanomaterials for the photocatalysis with long cycling life , 2015 .

[17]  Yueming Li,et al.  P25-graphene composite as a high performance photocatalyst. , 2010, ACS nano.

[18]  J. J. Gracio,et al.  Surface Modification of Graphene Nanosheets with Gold Nanoparticles: The Role of Oxygen Moieties at Graphene Surface on Gold Nucleation and Growth , 2009 .

[19]  Chun Li,et al.  Graphene-Based Catalysts , 2012 .

[20]  M. García-Gutiérrez,et al.  Understanding crystallization features of P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers under confinement to optimize ferroelectricity in nanostructures. , 2013, Nanoscale.

[21]  S. Lanceros‐Méndez,et al.  Development of electrospun photocatalytic TiO2-polyamide-12 nanocomposites , 2015 .

[22]  Bo Yan,et al.  One step hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide sheets , 2011 .

[23]  Jin Suk Chung,et al.  The role of graphene oxide content on the adsorption-enhanced photocatalysis of titanium dioxide/graphene oxide composites , 2011 .

[24]  A. C. Lopes,et al.  Electroactive phases of poly(vinylidene fluoride) : determination, processing and applications , 2014 .

[25]  Xu Fei,et al.  Synthesis and catalytic performance of hierarchical TiO2 hollow sphere/reduced graphene oxide hybrid nanostructures , 2016 .

[26]  M. Rajamathi,et al.  CHEMICALLY MODIFIED GRAPHENE SHEETS PRODUCED BY THE SOLVOTHERMAL REDUCTION OF COLLOIDAL DISPERSIONS OF GRAPHITE OXIDE , 2008 .

[27]  William W. Yu,et al.  Visible light driven photodegradation of quinoline over TiO2/graphene oxide nanocomposites , 2014 .

[28]  Xiaoming Xie,et al.  H‐Doped Black Titania with Very High Solar Absorption and Excellent Photocatalysis Enhanced by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance , 2013 .

[29]  S. Martin,et al.  Environmental Applications of Semiconductor Photocatalysis , 1995 .

[30]  P. Marques,et al.  Surface Modification of Natural and Synthetic Polymeric Fibers for TiO2‐Based Nanocomposites , 2015 .

[31]  V. Correia,et al.  Fiber average size and distribution dependence on the electrospinning parameters of poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene) membranes for biomedical applications , 2012 .

[32]  Jiaguo Yu,et al.  EFFECTS OF HYDROTHERMAL TEMPERATURE AND TIME ON THE PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY AND MICROSTRUCTURES OF BIMODAL MESOPOROUS TIO2 POWDERS , 2007 .

[33]  Yi‐nan Wu,et al.  Preparation of doped TiO2 nanofiber membranes through electrospinning and their application for photocatalytic degradation of malachite green , 2014, Journal of Materials Science.

[34]  Nathan T. Hahn,et al.  Enhancing visible light photo-oxidation of water with TiO2 nanowire arrays via cotreatment with H2 and NH3: synergistic effects between Ti3+ and N. , 2012, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[35]  J. Zemek,et al.  Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide studied by the XRD, TEM and electron spectroscopy methods , 2014 .

[36]  T. Albanis,et al.  Photocatalytic transformation of the antipsychotic drug risperidone in aqueous media on reduced graphene oxide—TiO2 composites , 2016 .

[37]  Huaqiang Cao,et al.  ZnO@graphene composite with enhanced performance for the removal of dye from water , 2011 .

[38]  Jinhua Ye,et al.  Fabrication of Ag3PO4–PAN composite nanofibers for photocatalytic applications , 2013 .

[39]  L. Fu,et al.  Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic application of TiO2–graphene photocatalyst under visible light irradiation , 2015 .

[40]  S. Lanceros‐Méndez,et al.  Performance of electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride) against UV radiation , 2008 .

[41]  James A. Anderson,et al.  Probing the role of thermally reduced graphene oxide in enhancing performance of TiO2 in photocatalytic phenol removal from aqueous environments , 2016 .

[42]  Michio Matsumura,et al.  Morphology of a TiO2 Photocatalyst (Degussa, P-25) Consisting of Anatase and Rutile Crystalline Phases , 2001 .

[43]  P. Kamat,et al.  TiO2-graphene nanocomposites. UV-assisted photocatalytic reduction of graphene oxide. , 2008, ACS nano.

[44]  Khalil Amine,et al.  Chemically active reduced graphene oxide with tunable C/O ratios. , 2011, ACS nano.

[45]  A. Mohamed,et al.  Visible-light-active oxygen-rich TiO2 decorated 2D graphene oxide with enhanced photocatalytic activity toward carbon dioxide reduction , 2015 .

[46]  José L. Figueiredo,et al.  Advanced nanostructured photocatalysts based on reduced graphene oxide–TiO2 composites for degradation of diphenhydramine pharmaceutical and methyl orange dye , 2012 .

[47]  Facile fabrication of TiO2 nanoparticle-TiO2 nanofiber composites by co-electrospinning-electrospraying for dye-sensitized solar cells , 2015 .