Development of free-standing titanium dioxide hollow nanofibers photocatalyst with enhanced recyclability

• Main Authors: Mohammad Jafri, Nurul Natasha, Jaafar, Juhana, Aziz, Farhana, Wan Salleh, Wan Norharyati, Yusof, Norhaniza, Othman, Mohd. Hafiz Dzarfan, A. Rahman, Mukhlis, Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi, A. Rahman, Roshanida, Khongnakorn, Watsa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2022
• Subjects: Q Science (General); TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/103165/1/JuhanaJaafar2022_DevelopmentofFreeStandingTitanium.pdf; http://eprints.utm.my/103165/; http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030342

Titanium dioxide hollow nanofibers (THN) are excellent photocatalysts for the photodegradation of Bisphenol A (BPA) due to their extensive surface area and good optical properties. A template synthesis technique is typically employed to produce titanium dioxide hollow nanofibers. This process, however, involves a calcination procedure at high temperatures that yields powder-form photocatalysts that require post-recovery treatment before recycling. Meanwhile, the immobilization of photocatalysts on/into a membrane has been reported to reduce the active surface area. Novel free-standing TiO2 hollow nanofibers were developed to overcome those shortcomings. The free-standing photocatalyst containing 0.75 g of THN (FS-THN-75) exhibited good adherence and connectivity between the nanofibers. The recyclability of FS-THN-75 outperformed the THN calcined at 600◦C (THN-600), which retained 80% of its original weight while maintaining excellent degradation performance. This study recommends the potential application of free-standing TiO2 hollow nanofibers as high potential novel photocatalysts for the treatment of BPA in wastewater.