Photocatalytic evaluation of TiO2/nylon systems prepared at different impregnation times

TiO2/nylon fabrics were investigated for methanol degradation under UV light irradiation. TiO2 Degussa P-25 was supported on nylon by immersing the nylon in sol-gel TiO2 and silicone. The TiO2 layers on the nylon were explored as a function of the time of immersion, impregnation agent and the type of nylon fabric used. The energy diffuse spectroscopy (EDS) and infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) confirmed the presence of TiO2 bonded to the nylon fabrics. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show a more uniform distribution of TiO2 on nylon fabrics prepared by immersion in sol-gel as compared to the silicone method. The most suitable photodegradation of gaseous methanol by TiO2/nylon samples was obtained by sol-gel samples prepared by 24 h immersion time. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.