TiO2 deposited on a membrane of Ag fibers was prepared as a photoelectrochemical cell electrode. Ag fibers were made by reduction of Ag complexes on cellulose fibers, followed by burning out the template. TiO2 photocatalyst layers were grown on the fibers by electrophoretic deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles. Ag fibers could be uniformly deposited. Photocatalytic tests by dye decomposition and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under UV illumination demonstrate that Ag fibers act as a good substrate that provides both high surface area and good separation of photogenerated electron−hole pairs and causes the enhancement of photocatalytic activity in comparison with a thin film of TiO2.

TiO2 nanofibres were prepared using a templating method with tetraisopropylorthotitanate (TiPT) as a precursor. The preparation comprises liquid phase deposition on cellulose fibres followed by thermal removal of the cellulose template. The obtained TiO2 fibrous substance consists of micron-size fibres with a microstructure of nanofibres. It was demonstrated that nanofibres are basically formed through the aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles and nanorods into chain structures during the thermal treatment process. The measured surface area of the TiO2 fibres was about 250 m2 g−1. It was shown that the pore size distribution is multi-scale and a fractal morphology was demonstrated with two fractal regimes with dimensions of 1.78 and 2.97 for sizes below and above 7.5 nm, respectively. The crystalline phase of the TiO2 nanofibres, as well as the nanoparticles in the solution, could be controlled by the pH of the solution. A pH of 1.2 resulted in rutile phase, while a pH of 1.8 resulted in anatase phase.

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