Synthesis of Samarium and Zirconium-doped TiO2 nanofibers with improved photocatalytic activity

Samarium and zirconium-doped TiO2 nanofibers (3 and 5 wt.%) were synthesised by a simple modified electrospinning method. The effects of calcination temperature on the size of the as-spun doped titania fibers was investigated. As-spun nanofibers were studied and characterized through thermal gravimetric analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the structure and morphology of calcined fibers was studied by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR and DRS UV-vis). The influence of dopant type and amount on the photocatalytic degradation of Methylene blue (MB) was investigated.