Preparation of ordered TiO2 nanofibers/nanotubes by magnetic field assisted electrospinning and the study of their photocatalytic properties

Abstract Ordered-and-oriented TiO2 nanofibers and nanotubes were prepared by magnetic field-assisted electrospinning, and photocatalytic properties of all samples were analyzed under UV–Vis shine. TiO2 nanofibers/nanotubes prepared by magnetic field-assisted electrospinning showed better degradation effect on rhodamine B, reduced the band gap, increased the contact area of organic pollutants with the sample and higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2 nanofibers/nanotubes prepared by classical electrospinning. The product obtained after high temperature annealing was a mixed phase of rutile phase and anatase phase and could be advantageous to the segregate of photogenic electron hole pairs and enhance the high dye absorption capacity; Surface roughness could increase more active sites and accelerate the reaction rate of photocatalytic activity; the addition of magnetic field regulated the morphology of TiO2, and narrowed the band gap to favor photocatalytic performance. The magnetic field-assisted electrospinning study prepared in this paper was an easy-to-use and versatile method for the preparation of ordered TiO2 nanomaterials, which could be easily extended to practical applications or other materials for photocatalysis and water cleavage.