A novel and facile approach to obtain NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers with enhanced photocatalysis. Issue 20 (20th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yue; Li, Dan; Ma, Qianli; Tian, Jiao; Song, Yan; Xi, Xue; Dong, Xiangting; Yu, Wensheng; Wang, Jinxian; Liu, Guixia
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 8:Issue 20(2018)
• Page Start: 11051
• Page End: 11060
• Publication Date: 2018-03-20
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c8ra01211c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers were easily and directly fabricated via one-pot uniaxial electrospinning followed by designed calcination procedures. Abstract : NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers were easily and directly fabricated via one-pot uniaxial electrospinning followed by calcination process for the first time. Firstly, Ni(CH3 COO)2 /PVP composite nanofibers were prepared by a conventional electrospinning method, and then NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers were successfully synthesized by two-stage calcination procedure of Ni(CH3 COO)2 /PVP composite nanofibers which was determined to be the key process for preparing NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers. The NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers have pure cubic phase structure with space group of Fm3̄m, and the outer diameter and wall thickness of nanotubes and nanowire diameter are 130 ± 0.99 nm, 30 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Preliminarily, it is satisfactorily found that NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers used as photocatalyst for water splitting exhibit higher H2 evolution rate of 622 μmol h −1 than counterpart NiO hollow nanofibers of 472 μmol h −1 owing to its novel nanostructure. The possible formation mechanism of NiO nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers is proposed. To evaluate the universality of this novel preparative technique, taking Co3 O4 as an example, it is found that Co3 O4 nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers are also successfully fabricated via this novel method. The special nanowire-in-nanotube structure of the one-dimensional nanomaterials makes them have promising applications in catalysis, lithium-ion battery, drug delivery, etc . This manufacturing strategy has some advantages over other methods to form nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanofibers, such as easy, highly efficient and cost effective. The design idea and synthetic technique provide a novel perspective to create other nanowire-in-nanotube structured nanomaterials.