Titanium dioxide electrospun nanofibers for dye removal- A review

Abstract

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, water demand has increased worldwide. The availability of potable water is becoming more difficult in the global scenario. Hazardous pollution disposal by the industries to the nearest stream and search for the facile environmentally friendly technologies capable of treating these pollutants become more challenging. Effluent disposal consisting of the dyes without proper pre-treatment adversely affects the aquatic life and ecological system as they are carcinogenic and highly toxic. Dyes in the water are becoming a significant problem in the current scenario and attracted many researchers to research the current topic. Even though the conventional treatment options are available for treating polluted water, still they are not enough for the demand and supply. Thus, new state-of-the-art technologies are required to meet the demand and supply. Titanium dioxide nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning techniques have proven to be new nanomaterials gaining prominence in science. Several researchers are using these fibres by fabricating them into a thin film for pollutant removal and water treatment. They are gaining much importance as they perform best in treating water containing both organic and inorganic loads. The present review provides insights into the background and the origin of the electrospun nanofibers and preparation mechanisms. Further, we identified 25 widely used titanium dioxide electrospun nanofibers with various combinations in removing the dyes from the aqueous medium.