(1-x)SiO2-(x)TiO2 composite fibers with various compositions of TiO2 were prepared by electrospinning their sol-gel precursors of titanium (IV) iso-propoxide (TiP), and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The surface morphology and structure of sintered composite fibers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). As the content of TiO2 in (1-x)SiO2-(x)TiO2 system was increased the average diameter of composite fibers was proportionally increased. Also, the transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile form was inhibited by the highly dispersed TiO2 around SiO2 particles up to 0.6SiO2-0.4TiO2 composite fibers even after calcination at 1000 ℃. The photocatalytic activity of SiO2-TiO2 composite fibers was examined for the methylene blue (MB) decomposition which was confirmed using UV-vis/DRS spectra. The experiments demonstrated that the MB in aqueous solution was successfully photodegraded using SiO2-TiO2 composite nanofibers under UV-visible light irradiation.

전구체로서 알콕사이드[Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), Titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TiP)]를 사용하여 졸-겔 방법으로 전기방사에 적합한 졸을 제조한 후, (1-x)SiO2-(x)TiO2계 복합 나노섬유를 제조하였다. 제조된 광활성 무기나노섬유의 표면 및 구조적 특성은 X-선회절분석(XRD), 주사전자현미경(SEM), 투과전자현미경(TEM), 열중량분석 및 미분주사칼로리미터분석 (TGA-DSC), 적외선분광분석((FT-IR)을 통하여 확인하였다. (1-x)SiO2-(x)TiO2계에서 TiO2 양이 증가하면 전기방사된 복합섬유직경은 증가하였으며, 저온에서 안정한 아나타제 TiO2 결정에서 루타일로의 상전이는 1000 ℃에서의 열처리 후에도 고루 분산되어 있는 SiO2로 인해 0.6SiO2-0.4TiO2계까지는 아나타제상으로 존재하였다. SiO2-TiO2계 복합체 나노섬유의 광활성은 메틸렌블루 광분해 실험 및 UV-vis/DRS 분석을 통해 자외선 영역에서 나타남을 확인하였다.