The Application of Electrospun Photocatalytic BiFeO3 Nanofibers in Water Treatment

• Author / Creator

  Mojir Shaibani, Parmiss

• One-dimensional BiFeO3 (BFO) nanofibers were fabricated using the simple electrospinning of a Nylon6/BFO solution, carried out on a homemade electrospinning apparatus, and subsequent calcination at 600 °C. The photocatalytic activity of the nanofibers and their application in water purification was investigated against 4-Chlorophenol (4CP) as a model water contaminant. A pseudo-first order kinetics model was utilized in order to understand the degradation kinetics of the system. The SEM images of the as-spun samples demonstrated the successful production of nanofibers and the SEM images of the samples after calcination confirmed the integrity of the continuous BFO nanofibers. XRD analysis indicated the dominant presence of BFO phase throughout the calcinated nanofibers. The results of the UV-Vis spectroscopy exhibit the degradation of the 4CP by means of the Photocatalytic activity of the BFO nanofibers. The kinetics of the photodegradation of 4CP is believed to be governed by a pseudo-first order kinetics model.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • BiFeO3 nanofibers
  • Water-treatment
  • Electrospinning

• Graduation date

  Fall 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3SX4T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.