Sonocrystallization of ZIF-8 on Electrostatic Spinning TiO₂ Nanofibers Surface with Enhanced Photocatalysis Property through Synergistic Effect

Semiconductor-metal-organic framework (MOF) hybrid photocatalysts have attracted increasing attention because of their enhanced photocatalytic activity. However, the effect of the interface reaction between semiconductor and MOFs is rarely studied. In this work, we studied the synthesis and photocatalytic activity of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) decorated electrostatic spinning TiO2 nanofibers (TiO2 ESNFs). TiO2/ZIF-8 hybrid photocatalysts were prepared via a facile sonochemical route. It was crucial that the ZIF-8 was assembled homogeneously on the surface of TiO2 ESNFs and formed a N-Ti-O bond under sonochemical treatment, which may result in reducing recombination of the electron-hole pairs. The chemically bonded TiO2/ZIF-8 nanocomposites displayed excellent performance of thermal stability, controllable crystallinity, and great enhancement of photocatalytic activity in Rhodamine B (Rh B) photodegradation. Furthermore, the UV-vis light adsorption spectra of TiO2/ZIF-8 nanocomposites showed that the ZIF-8 photosensitizer extended the spectral response of TiO2 to the visible region. The new strategy reported here can enrich the method for designing new semiconductor-MOF hybrid photocatalysts.