Preparation and characterization of TiO₂ nanofibers via using polylactic acid as template

A simple procedure is reported for the fabrication of TiO 2 nanofibers via electrospinning technique using polylactic acid (PLA), tetrabutyl titanate, and hexafluoroisopropanol as a spinning solution. TiO 2 nanofibers (600–700 nm in diameter), with bundled nanofibrils align in the fiber direction, are obtained from the calcination of the as‐spun TiO 2 /PLA composite nanofibers at 550°C. The structure and physicochemical property of generated nanofibers are elucidated by Fourier transform‐Infrared radiation spectrometer, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and Thermogravimetric‐differential thermal analysis, respectively. The photocatalytical activity of the TiO 2 nanofibers is testified by quantifying the degradation of methylene orange. The result indicates that the TiO 2 nanofibers with pure anatase phase, which are prepared at 550°C, shows an excellent photocatalytic activity.