Electrospun Er³⁺–TiO₂ nanofibrous films as visible light induced photocatalysts

Er³⁺ doped TiO₂ nanofibrous films were prepared by a sol-gel derived electrospinning. The 0.5 mol% Er³⁺–TiO₂ fibers with an average diameter of 160 nm exhibited porous and smooth surface. However, the fibers became disconnected when the Er concentration was above 1.0 mol%. The anatase peaks of TiO₂...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current applied physics 2011-05, Vol.11 (3S), p.S324-S327
Main Authors: Lee, Deuk Yong, Kim, Bae-Yeon, Cho, Nam-Ihn, Oh, Young-Jei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absorption
crystal structure
crystallites
nanofibers
photolysis
physics
surface area
titanium dioxide
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Summary:Er³⁺ doped TiO₂ nanofibrous films were prepared by a sol-gel derived electrospinning. The 0.5 mol% Er³⁺–TiO₂ fibers with an average diameter of 160 nm exhibited porous and smooth surface. However, the fibers became disconnected when the Er concentration was above 1.0 mol%. The anatase peaks of TiO₂ became broader and weaker with increasing Er concentration, indicative of reduced grain size and low extent of crystallinity. Crystallite size determined by the Scherrer formula decreased from 18 to 8 nm with increasing the amount of Er (0–1.5 mol%). The TiO₂ had no absorption in the visible light region above 400 nm, while the Er³⁺–TiO₂ nanofibers had typical absorption peaks located 490, 523 and 654 nm, corresponding to the transitions from ⁴I₁₅/₂ to ⁴F₇/₂, ²H₁₁/₂ and ⁴F₉/₂, respectively. Smaller crystallite size of the nanofibers may correspond to larger surface area, which is beneficial for the photocatalytic activity under visible light.
ISSN:1567-1739
1878-1675
DOI:10.1016/j.cap.2011.03.022