Photoelectrochemical
sensors based on hierarchically structured titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofibers (NFs) were fabricated by combination of electrospinning,
carbon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and hydrothermal reaction.
During the electrospinning step, a rotating drum collector was used
to align and position NFs of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in
polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on top of a carbon-MEMS structure. Following
calcination under vacuum, a stable ohmic contact was obtained between
suspended TiO2-carbon NFs (TiO2/C NF) and the
carbon electrodes. Subsequent to this, a hierarchical nanostructure
of TiO2 nanowires (TiO2 NWs) was hydrothermally
synthesized onto the TiO2/C NFs and successfully utilized
as UV and pH sensors. This is the first demonstration of a semiconductor-based
nanofiber sensor suspended on carbon electrodes that has been achieved
by a relatively simple and cost-effective electrospinning method.
Furthermore, these sensors demonstrate a high sensitivity, as well
as a stable ohmic contact, due to the large surface area of the TiO2 NWs and the carbon–carbon contact between the suspended
TiO2/C NFs and carbon electrodes.