Fabrication and characterization of metal-doped TiO2 nanofibers for photocatalytic reactions

Abstract Metal (Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Zn 2+ ) doped TiO 2 nanofibers were fabricated by a sol–gel method and an electrospinning technique using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and titanium isopropoxide as precursors. Co, Ni, and Zn were found to promote the anatase–rutile (A–R) phase transformation, whereas Zn inhibited this process. The as-prepared catalysts were evaluated in the photodecomposition of methylene blue under UV light. Ni- and Zn-doped TiO 2 nanofibers were found to be more efficient than pure TiO 2 nanofibers in this reaction. The photocatalytic degradation rate fitted a pseudo-first-order equation. Zn-doped TiO 2 nanofibers were found to be promising materials for the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue with a kinetic constant of 0.0240 min −1 .