Enhanced photocatalytic performance of coaxially electrospun titania nanofibers comprising yolk-shell particles

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Labeesh Kumar - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Bhanu Nandan - , Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) (Author)
  • Swagato Sarkar - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Tobias A.F. König - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Darius Pohl - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Dresden Center for Nanoanalysis (DCN) (Author)
  • Takuya Tsuda - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Muhammad S.B. Zainuddin - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • Martin Humenik - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • Thomas Scheibel - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • Andriy Horechyy - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)

Abstract

The present paper reports the fabrication of novel types of hybrid fibrous photocatalysts by combining block copolymer (BCP) templating, sol–gel processing, and coaxial electrospinning techniques. Coaxial electrospinning produces core–shell nanofibers (NFs), which are converted into hollow porous TiO2 NFs using an oxidative calcination step. Hybrid BCP micelles comprising a single plasmonic nanoparticle (NP) in their core and thereof derived silica-coated core–shell particles are utilized as precursors to generate yolk-shell type particulate inclusions in photocatalytically active NFs. The catalytic and photocatalytic activity of calcined NFs comprising different types of yolk-shell particles is systematically investigated and compared. Interestingly, calcined NFs comprising silica-coated yolk-shells demonstrate enhanced catalytic and photocatalytic performance despite the presence of silica shell separating plasmonic NP from the TiO2 matrix. Electromagnetic simulations indicate that this enhancement is caused by a localized surface plasmon resonance and a confinement effect in silica-coated yolk-shells embedded in porous TiO2 NFs. Utilization of the coaxially electrospun TiO2 NFs in combination with yolk-shells comprising plasmonic NPs reveals to be a potent method for the photocatalytic decomposition of numerous pollutants. It is worth noting that this study stands as the first occurrence of combining yolk-shells (Au@void@SiO2) with porous electrospun NFs (TiO2) for photocatalytic purposes and gaining an understanding of plasmon and confinement effects for photocatalytic performance. This approach represents a promising route for fabricating highly active and up-scalable fibrous photocatalytic systems.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)560-575
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of colloid and interface science
Volume674
Publication statusPublished - 15 Nov 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-4859-4325/work/226150314

Keywords

Keywords

  • Block copolymer, Catalysis, Coaxial electrospinning, Electrospun nanofibers, Hybrid micelles, Hybrid nanomaterials, Yolk-shell particles