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In-Situ Functionalization of Cotton Fabric by TiO<sub>2</sub>: The Influence of Application Routes
oleh: Mohammad Mamunur Rashid, Matija Zorc, Barbara Simončič, Ivan Jerman, Brigita Tomšič
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-10-01 |
Deskripsi
The desirable chemical, physical, electronic, and optical properties of TiO<sub>2</sub>, as well as its high availability, non-toxicity, and low price, make it very popular in the modern functional textile industry. Here, TiO<sub>2</sub> from titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) precursors at concentrations of 2, 4, and 6% and commercial TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles (NPs) in dispersion form were applied to cotton textiles using low-temperature application methods (i.e., sol–gel pad–dry–cure, pad–hydrothermal, and exhaustion–hydrothermal methods) to provide a systematic study of the influence of low-temperature application processes and TIIP concentration and on the overall properties of TiO<sub>2</sub>-functionalized textile materials. The treated cotton fabric samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) to determine their surface morphology, chemical composition, and crystal structure, while the optical properties of the synthesized TiO<sub>2</sub> were determined using the absorption method and Tauc plotting. Afterwards, corresponding UV protection properties and photocatalytic self-cleaning activity were evaluated. In contrast to commercial TiO<sub>2</sub>, a relatively thin TiO<sub>2</sub> deposition with an amorphous structure and a blue-shifted band gap between 3.18 and 3.28 eV was formed when applied at low temperatures. A sol with a TIIP concentrations of 2 and 4% applied using the exhaustion–hydrothermal and sol–gel dry-cure method, respectively, proved to be optimal. Both applied sol concentrations provided good UV protection and excellent photocatalytic performance, which exceeded that of commercial TiO<sub>2</sub>, even though the Ti contents in the samples were two- to three-times lower and the synthesized TiO<sub>2</sub> exhibited an amorphous structure.