Novel perovskite-type La:TiO2/poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite coatings for solar-driven self-cleaning textiles

Abstract

The development of self-cleaning textiles is an active research frontier to create fabrics that are impervious to organic stains. In this study, we report the first synthesis of perovskite-type La-doped TiO2 (La:TiO2) nanoparticles from [TiCl4]− using an EDTA-mediated sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction and absorption spectra reveal the formation of perovskite-type cubic La:TiO2 nanocrystals (a = 3.86 Å) with a notable reduction in the optical bandgap energy. Photocatalytic self-cleaning textiles are created by the fabrication of novel La:TiO2 and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanocomposites on cotton fabric. Variously doped (0.5–2 wt%) La:TiO2/PAA nanocomposite-coated fabrics are stained with methylene blue and exposed to sunlight to investigate the photocatalytic stain removal and assess the self-cleaning abilities of cotton fabrics. Our findings demonstrate the superior photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning performance of La:TiO2/PAA nanocomposite-coated fabrics with pseudo-first-order kinetics of stain removal. The findings may lead to the production of daylight self-cleaning textiles that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.