Effect of TiO2 on photocatalytic activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone fabricated via electrospinning

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is a promising material for electrospinning, and it has many desirable properties, including solubility in various solvents, physiological compatibility, chemical inertness, and excellent film-forming ability. Polymer-matrix composites of PVP-carbon fibers containing TiO2 were prepared via electrospinning. Degradation of environmental pollutants by the electrospun webs was evaluated based on methylene blue degradation. The optimum photocatalytic activity was achieved with webs containing 7 wt% TiO2. The results show that the proposed method is effective for improving the photocatalytic properties of TiO2-doped nanofibers; the doping process also increased the nanofiber surface area.