Abstract
In this paper, we present an overview as well as current advances in the low-temperature deposition of highly crystalline suspensions of titania nanoparticles on polymers for photocatalytic applications. The presence of preformed titania nanoparticles yields the possibility of producing photocatalytically active coatings at reduced temperatures. Transparent and photocatalytically active TiO2 coatings that degrade organic matter, have been widely applied to bestow self-cleaning properties onto surfaces. This low-temperature deposition method and its transition to polymers would open an entire array of possible self-cleaning applications. During this research, incorporation of a silica buffer layer was applied to improve the compatibility of the inorganic coating on a substrate, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polyphenylsulphone (PPSU). The photocatalytic activity of the obtained coating was analyzed for its photocatalytic abilities by evaluating the color removal of a dye solution (methylene blue, MB) under UV irradiation and compared with commercial Pilkington Activ® self-cleaning glass. Our results indicate that the titania-coated silica-polymer systems yield a higher photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of organic pollutants. This method proves that the deposition of highly crystalline anatase suspensions on silica buffer layers is a viable method to produce photocatalytic coatings on heat-sensitive substrates.
Highlights
Semiconductor and, in particular, titania, photocatalysis has been field of very high interest during the past decade, with over 3300 publications regarding the subject between 2005 and 2016.Its many uses, such as the photodegradation of volatile and non-volatile organics and UV-induced superhydrophilicity and photo-sterilization, guarantee a wide range of possible applications [1,2,3,4] because of the material’s high robustness, both chemically and photochemically [5,6,7].Self-cleaning surfaces are very beneficial from an economical and an environmental point of view and are, nowadays, readily available to the consumer public
The wettability of the titania nanosuspensions was determined by measuring the contact angle of a 10 μL droplet on both the PMMA and PPSU substrates by using an optical tensiometer (Kruss DSA30, KRÜSS GmbH, Hamburg, Germany)
The wettability of the titania nanosuspensions was determined by measuring the contact angle (Kruss DSA30) of a 10 μL droplet on the PMMA and PPSU substrates, as well as the silica buffer layer deposited on PMMA
Summary
Self-cleaning surfaces are very beneficial from an economical and an environmental point of view and are, nowadays, readily available to the consumer public Their broad area of application range from indoor applications in fabrics, furnishing materials, and window glasses to exterior applications in construction materials, roof tiles, car mirrors, and solar panels. These materials can be cleaned by a stream of water, which significantly reduces routine maintenance costs, illustrating the great economic relevance of crystalline titania coatings. Such coatings are already commercialized on glass by companies such as Pilkington, PPG Industries, and Saint-Gobain Vitrage [8]. All of these companies employ deposition techniques such as chemical vapor deposition and magnetron
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