title: Visible-light induced photocatalytic activity of electrospun-TiO2 in arsenic(III) oxidation.
abstract: In practical implementation of TiO2 semiconductors, utilization of their outstanding properties is mainly hindered by poor material quality and high operational costs. In this contribution, the electrospinning method was employed to fabricate N-doped mixed-crystalline TiO2 with exposed high-energy facets. The Ti oxide transformation process was thoroughly studied. During the mixed crystal structure formation process, the high-energy facets could be preserved due to the lower calcination temperature and the protective role of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the electrospinning process. In addition, after calcination, the N doping, generated by the decomposition of PVP, extended the absorption spectrum of TiO2 to the visible region. These TiO2 fibers exhibited superior photooxidation of arsenite (III) to arsenate (V)in both the UV and visible light regions, mainly attributed to the exposure of high-energy facets, robust separation of photoexcited charge carriers between the anatase/rutile phases, and narrow band gap induced by the in situ N doping. Combining both robustness and scalability, the TiO2 fibers produced via this electrospinning process have the potential for a broad range of applications.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiufeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiuhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Jinghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: TiO2; arsenite oxidation; electrospinning; mixed phases; nitrogen doping; visible light irradiation