Sol-Gel Preparation of TiO2/SiO2 Nanocomposites and Their Application in Self-cleaning Textiles

The present study involves the preparation of TiO 2/ SiO 2nanocrystals and their application in self-cleaning wool-polyester fabrics.The TiO 2/ SiO 2nanocrystals were successfully synthesized and deposited onto wool-polyester fabrics using the low-temperature sol-gel technique.The as-prepared nanocomposites and the nanocomposites coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction( XRD) and scanning electron microscopy( SEM),respectively.The XRD and SEM results showed that the single-phase anatase nanocrystallites were formed and loaded on the fabric surface successfully.The photocatalytic activities of TiO 2-coated and TiO 2/ SiO 2-coated wool-polyester fabrics were measured by studying photodegradation of methylene blue dye.Comparison of the photocatalytic activity of the coated samples reveals superiority of TiO 2/ SiO 2modified sample with respect to that of pure TiO 2modified sample.Our observations indicate that by applying this technique to the fabrics,self-cleaning materials can be designed for practical application.