A study of reduced graphene oxide/leaf-shaped TiO₂ nanofibers for enhanced photocatalytic performance via electrospinning

Composites consisting of anatase leaf-shaped titanium dioxide fibers/reduced graphene oxide (TiO₂/rGO) were synthesized via electrospinning and hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic degradation of pollutants by the electrospun fibers was evaluated based on the degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh B). In particular, the composites (LT-G) containing 1 wt% rGO exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. Owing to the presence of the rGO, the composites showed improved light absorption capability, electron-hole pair lifetime, adsorption capacity, and specific surface areas. On the other hand, when the rGO content exceeded 1 wt%, the photocatalytic efficiency decreased. These results demonstrated that; the photocatalytic activity of some of these composites was higher than that of pure TiO₂ most likely due to their ability to absorb light over a wider range of wavelengths.