Preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/TiO2/carbon nanotube composite nanofibers and their photobleaching properties

The composite nanofibers of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc)/titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) were prepared by electrospinning for a novel photocatalytic treatment of waste water. To improve the photoelectronic properties of PVA/PAAc/TiO2 composite nanofibers, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used as an additive. The TiO2 and CNTs were immobilized in the PVA/PAAc hydrogels as electrospun nanofibers for an easier recovery after the wastewater treatment. The improved efficiency of pollutant dye removal was observed at pH 10 due to the pH-sensitive swelling behavior of the PVA/PAAc/TiO2/CNTs composite nanofibers. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was improved noticeably by applying electric field to the CNTs-embedded composite nanofibers.