title: Electrospun anatase-phase TiO2 nanofibers with different morphological structures and specific surface areas.
abstract: Electrospun anatase-phase TiO2 nanofibers with desired morphological structure and relatively high specific surface area are expected to outperform other nanostructures (e.g., powder and film) of TiO2 for various applications (particularly dye-sensitized solar cell and photo-catalysis). In this study, systematic investigations were carried out to prepare and characterize electrospun anatase-phase TiO2 nanofibers with different morphological structures (e.g., solid, hollow/tubular, and porous) and specific surface areas. The TiO2 nanofibers were generally prepared via electrospinning of precursor nanofibers followed by pyrolysis at 500°C. For making hollow/tubular TiO2 nanofibers, the technique of co-axial electrospinning was utilized; while for making porous TiO2 nanofibers, the etching treatment in NaOH aqueous solution was adopted. The results indicated that the hollow/tubular TiO2 nanofibers (with diameters of ~300-500 nm and wall-thickness in the range from tens of nanometers to ~200 nm) had the BET specific surface area of ~27.3 m(2)/g, which was approximately twice as that of the solid TiO2 nanofibers (~15.2 m(2)/g) with diameters of ~200-300 nm and lengths of at least tens of microns. Porous TiO2 nanofibers made from the precursor of Al2O3/TiO2 composite nanofibers had the BET specific surface area of ~106.5 m(2)/g, whereas porous TiO2 nanofibers made from the precursor of ZnO/TiO2 composite nanofibers had the highest BET specific surface area of ~148.6 m(2)/g.
authors.affiliation: Program of Materials Engineering and Science, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA.
authors.forename: Guangfei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yibing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaoxu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chuilin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Zhengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fong