Facile fabrication of porous Cr-doped SrTiO₃ nanotubes by electrospinning and their enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties

Novel porous Cr-doped SrTiO₃ nanotubes were fabricated using a simple and economical electrospinning technique with subsequent calcination. The average outer diameter of the nanotube was approximately 100 nm, and the multimodal porous netlike framework with high specific surface area was favorable for light harvesting and matter diffusion. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degradation of azo dye acid orange 7 and removal of NO under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of porous Cr-doped SrTiO₃ nanotubes was attributed to the one-dimensional tube-like architecture, high specific surface area, multimodal pore size distribution, and proper Cr doping. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.