Physical characterization of titanium dioxide nanofiber prepared by electrospinning method

Abstract

Titanium dioxide nanofibers with diameter ranging to several nanometers were synthesized via electrospinning technique. The precursor solution was prepared by mixing the polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP (MW~1,300,000) in ethanol, meanwhile titanium tetraisopropoxide, TTIP in acetic acid was slowly added into the solution under a vigorous stirring. The precursor solutions were then used in the electrospinning process under high voltage supply. As-spun nanofibers were heat-treated under different temperature 400°C and 500°C. The TiO2 nanofibers were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the heat treated TiO2 nanofibers consist of anatase and rutile phases. As the calcination temperature increased (400-500°C), the anatase phases are greater than rutile phase and specific surface area are decreases while the calcination process influenced the nanofibers diameter.