Nanofibrous photocatalysts from electrospun nanocapsules

Abstract

We present the design of multicompartment metal oxide/silica nanofibrous photocatalysts by colloid-electrospinning and subsequent calcination. During the calcination process, silica nanomaterials are cemented to form the fibrous framework and metal oxide precursors are crystallized inside and onto the fibers. This multicompartment nanofibrous structure, constructed with nanoparticles and core–shell nanocapsules, is therefore beneficial for the separation of the materials and the light utilization due to the multiple reflections and scattering of incident light in the cavities. The photocatalytic activity of the fibers was verified by the successful degradation of a model dye rhodamine B. This synthetic methodology is a universal approach for the fabrication of nanomaterials with hierarchical hollow structures, which are emerging in energy and environmental related applications.