Formation of TiO2 nano fibers on a micro-channeled Al2O3–ZrO2/TiO2 porous composite membrane for photocatalytic filtration

In this study, needle-shape TiO2 fibers were successfully fabricated inside a micro-channeled Al2O3–ZrO2 composite porous membrane system using sol–gel method. The micro-channeled Al2O3–ZrO2 composite was fabricated using the fibrous monolithic (FM) process. Pure anatase phase TiO2 was crystallized from the as-coated amorphous phase during calcination at 510 °C. The TiO2 fibers grew on the surface frame of the micro-channeled Al2O3–ZrO2 composite membrane and fully covered the inside of the micro-channeled pores. The specific surface area of the TiO2 coated membrane system was dramatically increased by over 100 fold compared to that of the non-coated system. The photocatalytic activity of the membrane was also assessed and was shown to very effectively convert organic materials. Thus, this novel membrane holds promise for use as an advanced filtration system.