Large-scale synthesis of flexible TiO2/N-doped carbon nanofibres: A highly efficient all-day-active photocatalyst with electron storage capacity

Abstract Catalyst immobilization and energy saving are critical in practical water pollution treatments. In this work, a novel TiO2/N-doped carbon nanofibre (TiO2/NCNF) membrane with a “memory catalysis” capability was developed by combining electrospinning and carbonization methods. For the detailed structure of TiO2/NCNFs, ultra-long TiO2 NFs are co-grown with NCNFs, which not only leads to the even immobilization of TiO2 in the NCNF support but also improves the flexibility and mechanical properties of the catalysts. Thus, this self-supporting TiO2/NCNF membrane can provide more active sites and can be directly removed from the treated water without centrifugation and filtering. The graphitized carbon can accommodate the electrons generated from TiO2 under light irradiation and then release them in the dark to realize “memory catalysis”. When using the TiO2/NCNF membrane as a catalyst, methylene blue (MB) can be efficiently degraded both under light and dark conditions. In addition, the electron-storage capacity of the catalysts is confirmed. It is expected that this flexible TiO2/NCNF membrane can be used in practical applications with a high efficiency and low energy requirement.