Kang, HJ; Shin, SHo; Jo, W; Chun, HoH
Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)-Supported carbon nanotube (CNT)-TiO2 composite nanofibers (PCTCNs) with different CNT to TiO2 Weight ratios were prepared using a combined sol-gel and electrospinning technique:The photocatalytic performance-of the as-prepared PCTCNs for degradation of an indoor concentration level of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and o-xylene(BTEX) Was evaluated under visible light or UV irradiation. For comparison, a PVA:supported TiO2 composite nanofiber (PTN) was also investigated for its photocatalytic performance. The characteristics of the PCTCNs and the PTN were determined using scanning electron Microscopy and diffuse reflectance IN-Visible spectra. For the target compounds, the average photocatalytic degradation, efficiencies obtained from PCTCNs were higher than that Obtained from PTN. Specifically; the average photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of BTEX obtained from PCTCN-0.056 were 10, 44, 75 and 88 %, respectively, while those Obtained from PTN were 4, 11, 570 and 34 respectively. Moreover, the PCTCN-0.056 exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiencies among the as-prepared PCTCNs, although it did not have the highest MWCNT: to TiO2 mixing,ratio: Similar to, the visible-light irradiation conditions, PCTCN-0.056 revealed, the highest photocatalytic:degradation efficiencies of BTEX under UV:irradiation conditions. However, unlike the visible-light irradiation conditions, the photocatalytic performance of certain PTCNs were lower than those of PTN. Taken together, PCTCNs exposed to visible light could reveal superior performance for photocatalytic:degradation of toxic indoor pollutants,when appropriate ratios of MWCNT to TiO2, were utilized for the preparation of PCTCNS.