On the microstructure and photocatalytic activity of high-impact polystyrene-titania fiber membrane

In this research, waste high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) was used to synthesize fiber membranes through electrospinning. To improve the fiber membrane's photocatalytic activity, titania (TiO2) was added during its synthesis. The effect of varying amounts of TiO2 on the fiber membrane's microstructure and photocatalytic activity were investigated thoroughly. The average diameter of fibers increased along with the increasing concentration of TiO2 wt. 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% were 2.214 ± 0.038, 1.973 ± 0.034, 2.751 ± 0.052, and 2.94 ± 0.049 μm, respectively. To measure the photocatalytic activity of the fiber membrane, methylene blue and methylene orange were used and exposed to ultraviolet and visible light for different durations. The results showed that fiber membranes containing 0.5 and 1.5 wt.% of TiO2 had the ability to degrade methylene blue in 120 minutes, while those with wt. 0% and 1% of TiO2 required 150 minutes of exposure time to break down the dyes. Additionally, the other data, such as FTIR and Raman were also presented in this study.