Phase-Structure Effects of Electrospun TiO2 Nanofiber Membranes on As(III) Adsorption

TiO2 nanofibers (NFs) with different phases such as amorphous, anatase, mixed anatase-rutile, and rutile have been prepared by combining the electrospinning technique with the subsequent process of heat treatment or acidic-dissolution method. The obtained NFs are characterized by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements. Phase structure effects of electrospun TiO2 NFs on As(III) adsorption behaviors have been investigated. The results showed a significant effect of the phase structures of TiO2 NFs on As(III) adsorption rates and capacities. Amorphous TiO2 NFs have the highest As(III) adsorption rate and capacity in the investigated samples, which can be attributed to its higher surface area and porous volume. This research provides a simple and low-cost method for phase-controlled fabrication of TiO2 NFs and application for effective removal of arsenic from aqueous solution.