Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanofibers prepared by liquid phase deposition

Using liquid phase deposition method on cellulose substrate, TiO2 nanofibers were prepared with TiCl4 as a precur-sor. TiO2 nanofibers were obtained after heat treatment of the cellulose template. The remained product composed of micron-size TiO2 fibers with a microstructure of nanofibers. It is shown that nanofibers are formed through the aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the as prepared solution indicates formation of crystalline TiO2 anatase phase. EDX analysis was employed to measure the adsorbed mass of TiO2 on cellulose substrate. The effect of deposition time on the growth and morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies demonstrate fine microstructures which are composed of 10-15 nm nanoparticles. Surface area of the TiO2 fibers, measured by Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) analysis, was about 104 m2 g?1. Photodegradation of Rhodamine B (Rh. B) as a standard dye shows that the prepared samples have a high photocatalytic activity due to large surface area.