Adsorption of poly(acrylic acid) onto the surface of titanium dioxide and the colloidal stability of aqueous suspension

The adsorption of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in aqueous suspension onto the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was investigated. FTIR spectroscopic data provided evidence in support of hydrogen bonding and chemical interaction in the case of the PAA-TiO2 system. Adsorption isotherms demonstrated that part of the PAA initially added to the suspension was adsorbed onto the TiO2 surface, after which there was a gradual attainment of an adsorption plateau. The adsorption density of PAA was found to increase with an increase of PAA molecular weight, while it decreased with an increase of pH. The thickness of the PAA adsorption layer was calculated based on measurements of suspension viscosities in the absence and presence of PAA. It was shown that the thickness of the adsorption layer increased with the increase of pH, PAA molecular weight, and its concentration. The surface charge density, the diffuse charge density, and the zeta potential of TiO2 varied distinctly after PAA adsorption. The shift of pHiep toward a lower pH value was observed in the presence of PAA. PAA was found to stabilize the suspension of TiO2 nanoparticles through electrosteric repulsion. The influence of factors such as PAA molecular weight and its concentration on the colloidal stability of the aqueous suspension was also investigated.