Thermal crystallization of low-temperature prepared anatase nano-TiO_2 and multifunctional finishing of cotton fabrics

摘要

Anatase nano-TiO2 was synthesized by sol-gel method at a low temperature in this study. The effects of water amount and thermal crystallization treatment on the crystal structure and properties of nano-TiO2 were investigated. Crystal structure of nano-TiO2 was characterized by X-ray diffractometer and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photocatalytic activity of nano-TiO2 was evaluated by the degradation rate of methylene blue solution. The results showed that with the increase of water amount, the crystal structure of TiO2 nanocrystalline transformed from amorphous crystal into anatase crystal and its crystallinity and photocatalytic activity increased. Compared with nano-TiO2 obtained by common drying at 150 degrees C, the TiO2 nanocrystallines obtained by steaming crystallization had higher crystallinity and better photocatalytic activity, and the degradation rate of methylene blue reached 90% after UV irradiation for 2h. The prepared nano-TiO2 sols were coated onto the cotton fabrics to achieve multifunctional surfaces by dip-pad-steam process. The treated fabrics showed excellent durable anti-ultraviolet and self-cleaning properties. Moreover, the nano-TiO2 treatment caused negligible changes in the whiteness and breaking strength of the treated fabrics.