Composite Polymer Nanofibers with Carbon Nanotubes and Titanium Dioxide Particles with Photocatalytic Activity

Composite nanofibers containing Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and nanometric TiO$_{2}$ particles dispersed in poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) were prepared by the electrospinning (ES) technique. The fabricated nanofibers, the diameters of which were in the 20-200 nm range, contained well-oriented nanotubes and spherical TiO$_{2}$ nanoparticles in close proximity. The carbon nanotubes stabilize the polymer nanofibers against photodegradation by UV radiation, as compared with nanofibers composed only of PAN and TiO$_{2}$. Preliminary results on the photocatalytic activity of these nanofibers in decomposition of organic molecules will be reported.