Study of the effect of rutile/anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal route in electrospun PVA/TiO 2 nanocomposites

Mixed rutile–anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment under acidic conditions and incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). These nanocomposites were electrospun to produce nanofibers of PVA/TiO 2 , which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B and degradation of the polymer by UV‐C lamps were also investigated. The results showed that TiO 2 nanoparticles did not change the morphology and thermal behavior of the nanofiber polymer, but were effective in modifying the UV absorption of PVA without reducing its stability.