Physical characteristics of titania nanofibers synthesized by sol-gel and electrospinning techniques

Titania nanofibers were successfully synthesized by sol-gel coating of electrospun polymer nanofibers followed by calcining to form either the pure anatase or rutile phases. Characterization of these materials was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques. The average diameter of these ceramic nanofibers was observed to be around 200 nm for both the rutile and anatase forms. The valence band structure and optical absorption thresholds differ, however, indicating that nano-fibrous mats of titania can be selectively developed for different applications in catalysis and photochemistry.