Issue 60, 2014

Electrospun nanofibers of p-type BiFeO3/n-type TiO2 hetero-junctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Abstract

One-dimensional BiFeO3/TiO2 heterostructure nanofibers with high visible-light photocatalytic activity have been successfully obtained via a facile hydrothermal process followed by an electrospinning technique. The results show that the BiFeO3/TiO2 nanofibers are as long as dozens of micrometers with the diameters of about 100–300 nm, where BiFeO3 nanoparticles are surrounded by anatase-type TiO2 nanocrystals. Compared with the corresponding pure BiFeO3 nanoparticles, and TiO2 nanofibers, the as-prepared BiFeO3/TiO2 nanofibers exhibit a markedly enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl blue under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the formed p–n heterojunction between BiFeO3 and TiO2, which results in synergistic enhancement. Notably, the BiFeO3/TiO2 nanofibers could be easily recycled without the decrease in the photocatalytic activity because of their one-dimensional nanostructural property. With their high degradation efficiency and fine recyclability, the BiFeO3/TiO2 heterostructure nanofibers will have wide application in photodegradation of various organic pollutants.

Graphical abstract: Electrospun nanofibers of p-type BiFeO3/n-type TiO2 hetero-junctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 May 2014
Accepted
04 Jul 2014
First published
04 Jul 2014

RSC Adv., 2014,4, 31941-31947

Electrospun nanofibers of p-type BiFeO3/n-type TiO2 hetero-junctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Y. C. Yang, Y. Liu, J. H. Wei, C. X. Pan, R. Xiong and J. Shi, RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 31941 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA04258A

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