Photocatalytic Property of TiO(2)-Vermiculite Composite Nanofibers via Electrospinning

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) is one of the most common photocatalysts. In this study, TiO(2)-vermiculite composite nanofibers with a mesh structure and a diameter of approximately 300 nm were prepared via sol–gel approach combined with electrospinning technique. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, etc. The photocatalytic property was also evaluated. The TiO(2)-vermiculite composite nanofibers annealed at 550 °C for 3 h exhibited the best absorption and photo-degradation ability for the treatment of methylene blue. The results implied that the combination of mineral vermiculite powders with TiO(2) enhanced the absorption-degradation performance of the as-prepared photocatalytic materials, consequently promoting the materials’ ability to degrade methylene blue. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-015-0977-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.