Photocatalytic activities of poly(methyl methacrylate)/titanium dioxide nanofiber mat

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofiber mat. TiO2 nanoparticles in crystal phase were first prepared by sol-gel process and then PMMA/TiO2 nanofiber mat was prepared through electrospinning. The composite (PMMA/TiO2) nanofiber mat was compared with that of pure PMMA nanofiber mat through performing FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, weight loss and water contact angle measurements. The photocatalytic activity of PMMA/TiO2 nanofiber mat was evaluated by investigating both the photocatalytic decomposition of a model dye, methylene blue, and photocatalytic degradation of the composite nanofiber mat in the ambient air under ultraviolet light irradiation.