Effect of TiO₂ on photocatalytic activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone fabricated via electrospinning

Abstract 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.