Modifications in metal oxide electrospun nanofibers for environmental applications

Abstract Electrospinning is a simple and one-step process to fabricate one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures directly from its precursor solution. Electrospinning is able to create a wide variety of fibers that are based on polymers, metal oxides, composites, etc. This technique can be used to synthesize fibers such as solid, core-shell, hollow, etc. The prepared 1D nanostructures have high aspect ratio, large surface area, and controlled pore structures. Fiber's properties can be tailored by controlling the precursor concentrations, applied voltage, distance between needle and collector, flow rates, etc. Metal oxides (TiO2, ZnO, etc.) have been used as photocatalysts for a long time and have shown good performance toward degradation of organic pollutants. However, these materials still require modifications with other nanomaterials because these materials absorb only ultraviolet (UV) part of sunlight due to the wide bandgap and the excitons generated under the UV light irradiation recombine rapidly. In this chapter, we report various modifications to TiO2 nanofibers for degradation and detection of organic compounds toward environmental applications. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanofibers was enhanced through sensitization with carbon/quantum dots, functionalization with metal nanoparticles, and doping with transition metals, etc.