Visible Light Photocatalytic Functional TiO2/PVDF Nanofibers for Dye Pollutant Degradation

The photodegradation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/titanium oxide (TiO2) nanofibers under visible light is described, something that has not been previously reported in the literature. Visible light photocatalytic electrospun PVDF/TiO2 nanofiber webs with anatase TiO2 concentration varying from 0% to 20% (0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) are produced, and their ability to degrade a toxic pollutant, Rhodamine B (RhB), is studied. Photodegradation study using UV-vis spectroscopy on PVDF/TiO2 nanofiber webs (with TiO2 concentration of 20%) shows that 80% of RhB is degraded within 6 h at the wavelength of 546 nm, which clearly falls within the visible spectra. The color of RhB solvent catalyzed by PVDF/TiO2 nanofiber webs gradually changes from red to orange, then to yellow, further to light yellow till colorless, which suggests the complete photodegradation of RhB under visible light. To estimate the rate of photodegradation, the reaction constant k is calculated. Based on the k value, PVDF/TiO2 nanofiber webs with 20% TiO2 concentration show the highest degradation rate compared to other PVDF/TiO2 nanofiber webs and pure TiO2 nanoparticles. This study proves the viability of TiO2-based nanofibers to have catalytic capabilities under low-energy visible light.