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TiO2/graphene oxide immobilized in P(VDF-TrFE) electrospun membranes with enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic performance

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Abstract

Here, we report on the electrospinning of poly(vinylidene difluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer fibrous membranes decorated with titanium dioxide/graphene oxide (TiO2/GO). The presence of the TiO2/GO increases the photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposite membrane towards the degradation of methylene blue (MB) when compared with the membranes prepared with naked TiO2, in UV and particularly in the visible range. Even a low content (3 %, w/w) of TiO2/GO in the fibers yields excellent photocatalytic performance by degrading ~100 % of a MB solution after 90 min of visible light exposure. This may be attributed to a rapid electron transport and the delayed recombination of electron–hole pairs due to improved ionic interaction between titanium and carbon combined with the advantageous electric properties of the polymer, such as high polarization and dielectric constant combined with low dielectric loss. Thus, a promising system to degrade organic pollutants in aqueous or gaseous systems under visible light irradiation has been developed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by FEDER through the COMPETE Program and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Project PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2014. Thanks are also due to FCT/MEC for the financial support to the QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013) (also through national founds, co-financed by FEDER within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement). P. A. A. P. Marques thanks the FCT Investigator Program 2013 (IF/00917/2013). Nuno A. F. Almeida and P. M. Martins thank the FCT for grants SFRH/BD/70300/2010 and SFRH/BD/98616/2013, respectively. Financial support from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK Program is also acknowledged. SLM thanks the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia for financial support under the Bizkaia Talent program, European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, Marie Curie Actions—People, and Grant Agreement No. 267230.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. TEMA/Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

      Nuno A. Almeida & Paula A. A. P. Marques

    2. Centre/Departament of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

      Pedro M. Martins, Vitor Sencadas & S. Lanceros-Mendez

    3. Institute for Materials Science and Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany

      Sara Teixeira, K. Kühn & G. Cuniberti

    4. QOPNA/Chemistry Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

      José A. Lopes da Silva

    5. Dresden Center for Computational Materials Science (DCCMS), TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany

      G. Cuniberti

    6. Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany

      G. Cuniberti

    7. BC Materials, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160, Derio, Spain

      S. Lanceros-Mendez

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    1. Nuno A. Almeida
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    Correspondence to S. Lanceros-Mendez or Paula A. A. P. Marques.

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    Nuno A. Almeida and Pedro M. Martins contributed equally to this work.

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    Almeida, N.A., Martins, P.M., Teixeira, S. et al. TiO2/graphene oxide immobilized in P(VDF-TrFE) electrospun membranes with enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic performance. J Mater Sci 51, 6974–6986 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-9986-4

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