Preparation and characterization of TiO2 nanofibers via using polylactic acid as template

A simple procedure is reported for the fabrication of TiO 2 nanofibers via electrospinning technique using polylactic acid (PLA), tetrabutyl titanate, and hexafluoroisopropanol as a spinning solution. TiO 2 nanofibers (600–700 nm in diameter), with bundled nanofibrils align in the fiber direction, are obtained from the calcination of the as-spun TiO 2 /PLA composite nanofibers at 550°C. The structure and physicochemical property of generated nanofibers are elucidated by Fourier transform-Infrared radiation spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, respectively. The photocatalytical activity of the TiO 2 nanofibers is testified by quantifying the degradation of methylene orange. The result indicates that the TiO 2 nanofibers with pure anatase phase, which are prepared at 550°C, shows an excellent photocatalytic activity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013