One-pot growth of free-standing CNTs/TiO2 nanofiber membrane for enhanced photocatalysis

We report a one-pot route to the formation of free-standing, large-area CNTs/TiO2 nanofiber membrane with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Tetra-n-butyl titanate was reacted with NaOH to form high-quality titanate nanofibers with diameters below 200 nm and longitudinal dimensions of several tens of micrometers. CNTs were condensed with the as-prepared nanofibers and enabled the nanofibers to assemble into a free-standing membrane. It is proposed that the CNTs act as linkers between the nanofibers, and it is crucial for the formation of the membrane under the hydrothermal conditions. Benefiting from the introduction of CNTs, the as-prepared nanofiber membrane exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO2 nanofibers.

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► A free-standing CNTs/TiO2 nanofiber membrane was prepared via a one-pot route.
► CNTs are condensed with the nanofibers and enabled them to grow into a membrane.
► Benefiting from CNTs, the membrane exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity.