Self-constructed side-by-side nanofiber photocatalyst via oppositely charged electrospinning and its photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B

Abstract

Fabricating side by side (SBS) nanofibers with two distinct materials using dual spinnerets is challenging because of the formation of bulk heterojunctions, which limits the application of these nanofibers. In the present work, we demonstrate the synthesis of SBS nanofibers with fully exposed surfaces of different polymers. The SBS nanofibers were fabricated by a simple electrospinning method composed of oppositely charge spinnerets with a metal sheet to form a 2D auxiliary electrode plate. Furthermore, SBS TiO₂ and CoO nanofibres were explored for photocatalytic rhodamine B degradation by a photochemical method. Due to the combined action of the heterojunction of TiO₂ and CoO, the as-synthesized SBS fibres exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity compared with the single composite fibres, which is supported by their superior morphology, and textural and optical properties.