Abstract
Self-cleaning and/or photocatalytic films on polymer substrates have found numerous applications during the past decades. However, the common demand for high-temperature post synthesis treatment limits the application to temperature resistant substrates only. Herein, we prepared self-cleaning photocatalytic films on four thermosensitive polymeric substrates: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and acryl coated polyester (PES) fabric (D2) with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) containing lacquer (D1). TiO2 was prepared via a low-temperature sol-gel process using titanium(IV) isopropoxide and zirconium(IV) butoxide as precursors with various loading levels of Zr; 0, 5, 10, and 20 mol.%, and deposited on the substrates by using a SiO2 binder in form of thin films (ca. 200 nm thick) via dip-coating. The films were characterized by SEM, hardness test, UV-Vis, photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy, while photocatalytic activity was measured by the fluorescence-based method of the terephthalic acid probe and wetting by contact angle measurements. Films containing 10 mol.% of Zr showed the best compromise regarding photocatalytic activity and mechanical stability while from substrates point of view PVC performed the best, followed by PMMA, D1, and D2. The beneficial role of SiO2 binder was not only guaranteeing excellent mechanical stability, but also to prevent the D1 polymer from deterioration; the latter was found to be labile to long-term solar-light exposure due to degradation of the top PVDF layer.
Highlights
Nature-inspired self-cleaning surfaces that are usually either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic have been getting more and more attention over the years [1,2]
TiO2 has some limitations since it reduces the total transmittance of the films and the non-hydrophilic water contact angle in the dark is usually quickly re-established
Pure TiO2 was synthesized by the same procedure, without adding the ZTB and it was designated as Ti0Zr
Summary
Nature-inspired self-cleaning surfaces that are usually either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic have been getting more and more attention over the years [1,2]. The superhydrophilic effect can be achieved by changing the (nano)structure or chemistry of the surface and can be accomplished via “bottom-up” or “top-down” methods [1] In the former approach, an active agent is synthesised, which often comprises of nanoparticles, functioning as a catalyst for cleaning purposes, and as a component directing the final nanostructure of the material surface. TiO2 has some limitations since it reduces the total transmittance of the films and the non-hydrophilic water contact angle in the dark is usually quickly re-established. It has a relatively high band gap (3.2 eV for anatase), being limited to UV-illumination only. In order to circumvent these limitations, composites with other oxides have been proposed
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