One-dimensional nanostructures have shown high photocatalytic efficiency due to their high surface area to volume ratio and charge transfer efficiency. In this work, we have studied the influence of zinc acetate content (zinc acetate to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mass ratio) on the photoelectrochemical performance of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. The nanostructures of ZnO were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate by electrospinning of aqueous solution containing different amounts of zinc acetate. The precursor nanofibers of zinc acetate/PVA were converted into polycrystalline ZnO nanostructures with hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure by calcination at 600°C for 3 h. It was found that by increasing the amount of zinc acetate, the diameter of the as-spun precursor fibers increased and their distribution became broader. The mean diameter of the ZnO nanoparticles forming...

In this work, ZnO/TiO2 nanostructures were fabricated by an electrostatically modified electrospinning technique using zinc acetate and commercially available TiO2-P25, polyvinyl alcohol, and a solvent. The ZnO/TiO2 nanostructures were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate by electrospinning of aqueous solution containing different amounts of zinc acetate. The TiO2-P25 nanoparticles were immobilized within zinc acetate/PVA nanofibers. The precursor nanofibers obtained were converted into polycrystalline ZnO and ZnO/TiO2 by calcination at 600 °C. The structure and morphology of the obtained nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. It was found that the TiO2-P25 nanoparticles were attached to the ZnO nanostructures, and the mean diameter of the nanoparticles forming the nanostructures range...

TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized by alkaline hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 nanoparticles with a controlled proportion of anatase and rutile. Tailoring of TiO2 phases was achieved by adjusting the pH and type of acid used in the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (first step in the sol-gel synthesis). The anatase proportion in the precursor nanoparticles was in the 3–100% range. Tube-like nanostructures were obtained with an anatase percentage of 18 or higher while flake-like shapes were obtained when rutile was dominant in the seed. After annealing at 400°C for 2 h, a fraction of nanotubes was conserved in all the samples but, depending on the anatase/rutile ratio in the starting material, spherical and rod-shaped structures were also observed. The photocatalytic activity of 1D nanostructures was evaluated by measuring the deactivation of E. coli in stirred water in the dark and un...