Nanocomposite fibers of poly(lactic acid)/titanium dioxide prepared by solution blow spinning

Abstract

Solution blow spinning (SBS) is a recent technology to produce polymer micro- and nanofibers, including nanocomposites loaded with a wide range of nanoparticles. Because of its novelty, various studies about the properties of the produced materials are necessary, especially those related to material stability. In the present study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/titanium dioxide anatase (TiO2) nanocomposite fibers, with different TiO2 percentages, were produced by the SBS method. The spun nanocomposite fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye and PLA degradation by UV-C lamps were investigated. SEM and TEM micrographs show that the SBS method produced PLA/TiO2 nanofibers with uniform morphology and without beads. The DSC analyses and X-ray diffraction patterns show that incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles could influence the PLA nanocomposite crystallinity. PLA photocatalytic degradation experiments demonstrate that the weight loss of the polymer increases with an increase in TiO2 content. The present results indicate that the SBS method can be used to produce biodegradable nanocomposite fibers with good properties and potential applications.