Abstract

The surface properties of TiO2 nanofibers were utilized for the in-situ and ex-situ nucleation and growth of metal nanoparticles. Pt nanoparticles were generated on the titania surface without the use of external stabilizing agents. These nanoparticles were effectively anchored on the numerous pores present on the TiO2 surface and acted as sites for continued nanoparticle growth. The TiO2 surface exhibited extensive folding resulting in increased surface area that was then explored for the effective adsorption of reacting materials for heterogeneous catalysis. The resulting TiO2-based catalysts were found to facilitate UV/Visible light sensitized degradation of Rhodamine B (RH-B). The photodegradation followed first order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.0158 min-1. An investigation of the mechanism of RH-B degradation suggests a role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as intermediates in the photodegradation process.

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