Fabrication of wheat grain textured TiO₂/CuO composite nanofibers for enhanced solar H₂ generation and degradation performance

We report herein a simple, low-cost and scalable fabrication of unique wheat grain-like textured TiO₂/CuO composite nanofibers (NFs) by electrospinning. Unlike conventional surface coupling/loading of co-catalyst nanoparticles, incorporation of copper nanoparticles during the electrospinning of TiO₂ NFs ensures good stability and recyclability due to resistance against nanoparticles leaching. Optimization of electrospun NFs shows that TiO₂/CuO composite NFs with 2.5wt% copper nanoparticles, annealed at 500°C exhibit highly textured structure with enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation of 16.8 times higher than that of bare TiO₂ NFs. Furthermore, the electrospun TiO₂/CuO composite NFs demonstrate favorable photodegradation activity. The ease of tuning morphology and its heterostructure composite as well as separation and recovery of the fibrous photocatalyst after photoreaction renders immense potential to remedy global environmental and energy issues.