When considering a disposal method for the industrial dyes polluting waterways, absorption and degradation using photocatalysis on the nanoscale level has proven to be a timely and economical choice.   This work focuses on the synthesis of TiO2 nanofibers of diameters between 200 � 300 nm via the electrospinning technique. At the nanoscale level, the structural properties of the employed catalyst, TiO2, can be manipulated through calcination to create a mixture of phases that will promote crystalline and electronic properties essential in optimizing the performance of the TiO2.  Recently, calcination of the TiO2 in a reductive environment (H2) has shown an improved catalytic performance for the photodegradation of Rhodamine-B.  The improved performance of the electrospun TiO2 has been attributed to the presence of carbon that was inadvertently deposited on the TiO2 surface during the caclination step. Light conditions ranging from complete darkness, UV light to natural sunlight will be explored in order to study the behavior of the TiO2 catalyst during degradation.

Degradation and absorption of rhodamine B using TiO2 calcined in O2 and H2

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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