Photocatalytic activity of carbon nanofibers loading AgBr–TiO₂ composites under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) containing sliver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared via in situ reduction, electrospinning, and high-temperature calcination technique. Tetrabutyl titanate, the precursor of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), was adsorbed to the surface of Ag/CNFs by physical adsorption process. Ag–TiO₂/CNFs nanocomposites were obtained by high-temperature calcination treatment. Then, Ag NPs were oxidized to sliver bromide (AgBr) using bromine (Br₂) as an oxidant. The characterizations of scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, proved that AgBr and anatase TiO₂ NPs deposited on the surface of CNFs. The photocatalytic experiments exhibited that the as-prepared AgBr–TiO₂/CNFs were easily recycled and the introduction of AgBr NPs made them possess well photocatalytic activity under visible light (λ ≥ 400 nm).

Keywords:

• TiO₂
• carbon nanofibers
• AgBr nanoparticles
• visible-light photocatalysis

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 21266016].