Synthesis, characterization and self cleaning properties of titania nanoparticles grafted on polyester fabrics

Thanks to the excellent photocatalytic properties of titania (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) as self cleaning and anti bacterial agents, a great interest for engineering TiO2 doped textile fabrics has been arising. This study was aimed to the preparation of self cleaning textile fabrics based on polyester (PES) fibres and TiO2 NPs. In order to covalently bind TiO2 to PES surface, commercial TiO2 NPs were first modified by aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and then grafted to PES fibres. The coated PES fibres were characterized by FT-IR and FESEM and their characteristics compared with the bare fibres. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was ascertained by the photodegradation of methylene blue in solution. Moreover, the capability of TiO2 to photodegradate methylene blue stains adsorbed on the PES fabric surface was also tested.