6533b7d2fe1ef96bd125e10b
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Improved Photocatalytic Activity of Polysiloxane TiO2 Composites by Thermally Induced Nanoparticle Bulk Clustering and Dye Adsorption
Michelangelo ScopellitiBruno PignataroVittorio FerraraGiuseppe ArrabitoDelia Francesca Chillura MartinoValeria VetriGiuseppe SancataldoClara Chiapparasubject
In situMaterials scienceNanoparticleSurfaces and InterfacesThermal treatmentCondensed Matter PhysicsMatrix (chemical analysis)chemistry.chemical_compoundchemistryCoating materials Oxides Composites Nanoparticles Cluster chemistryElectrochemistryPhotocatalysisDegradation (geology)Settore CHIM/01 - Chimica AnaliticaGeneral Materials ScienceComposite materialCluster analysisSpectroscopyMethylene blueSettore CHIM/02 - Chimica Fisicadescription
Fine control of nanoparticle clustering within polymeric matrices can be tuned to enhance the physicochemical properties of the resulting composites, which are governed by the interplay of nanoparticle surface segregation and bulk clustering. To this aim, out-of-equilibrium strategies can be leveraged to program the multiscale organization of such systems. Here, we present experimental results indicating that bulk assembly of highly photoactive clusters of titanium dioxide nanoparticles within an in situ synthesized polysiloxane matrix can be thermally tuned. Remarkably, the controlled nanoparticle clustering results in improved degradation photocatalytic performances of the material under 1 sun toward methylene blue. The resulting coatings, in particular the 35 wt % TiO2-loaded composites, show a photocatalytic degradation of about 80%, which was comparable to the equivalent amount of bare TiO2 and two-fold higher with respect to the corresponding composites not subjected to thermal treatment. These findings highlight the role of thermally induced bulk clustering in enhancing photoactive nanoparticle/polymer composite properties.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-17 | Langmuir |