Structural characterization and morphology of electrospun TiO2 nanofibers

✍ Scribed by Wiwat Nuansing; Siayasunee Ninmuang; Wirat Jarernboon; Santi Maensiri; Supapan Seraphin

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 957 KB
• Volume: 131
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-5107
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mseb.2006.04.030

✦ Synopsis

This paper reports on structural characterization and morphology of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanofibers prepared by electrospinning using a solution that contained poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and titanium(diisoproproxide) bis(2,4-pentanedionate) 75 wt.% in 2-propanol. TiO 2 nanofibers with diameters of 80-100 nm were successfully obtained from calcination of the as-spun TiO 2 /PVP composite nanofibers at above 300 • C in air for 3 h. The as-spun and calcined TiO 2 /PVP composite nanofibers were characterized by TG-DTA, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, AFM, and TEM. The results indicated a significant effect of calcination temperature on the crystalline phase in the form of either anatase or mixed anatase-rutile and the morphology of the nanofibers. The anatase-to-rutile transformation and the grain growth during the calcination of the electrospun TiO 2 /PVP composite nanofibers, as revealed by TEM, occurred simultaneously and affected each other. The rutile content was the highest (∼80%) at 800 • C, and it can be expected that the complete anatase-to-rutile transformation in the TiO 2 nanofibers would be above 800 • C.