Preparation of micro-nano-composites of TiO2/carbon nanostructures, C-CNT macroscopic shaping and their applications

Abstract

Micro-nano-composites of TiO2/carbon were synthesised using a collage of carbon nanostructures (carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs)) on a TiO2 surface through a TiO2 sol-gel layer. C-CNT macroscopic shaping (C-CNT composites) were produced using CNTs as a starting material and a phenol-formaldehyde (PF) or polystyrene (PS) polymer as an adhesive. The morphologies of the composites were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The collage of carbon nanostructures on the surface of TiO2 in the composite was observed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The superhydrophobicity of the C-CNT macroscopic shapes was demonstrated by contact angle measurements using AutoCAD software. The photoactivity of the composites was examined by the conversion of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under irradiation from high-pressure mercury lamp. Higher photoactivity was observed using the TiO2/carbon nanostructure composites than with TiO2 alone.