Preparation and photocatalytic activity of fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomer/anatase titanium oxide nanocomposite-encapsulated low molecular weight aromatic compounds

• Published in: Colloid and polymer science Vol. 291; no. 12; pp. 2947 - 2957
• Main Authors: Guo, Sujuan, Ogasawara, Takahumi, Saito, Tomoya, Kakehi, Hiroshi, Kato, Yoshihiro, Miura, Masashi, Isu, Norifumi, Sawada, Hideo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anatase; Applied sciences; Aromatic compounds; Calcination; Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Complex Fluids and Microfluidics; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Food Science; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fullerenes; General and physical chemistry; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Oligomers; Original Contribution; Physical Chemistry; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymer Sciences; Soft and Granular Matter; Technology of polymers; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Fullerene; Photocatalytic activity; Phase transformation; Anatase titanium oxide nanoparticle; Aromatic compounds; Rutile; No weight loss; Fluorinated silicon oligomer; Nanocomposite; UV irradiation; Anatase; End group; Nanoparticle; Oligomer; Nanoencapsulation; Thermal stability; Hydrophobic group; Manufacturing; Growth from solution; Organic compounds; Photochemical degradation; Organic dye; Photocatalysis; Fluorine containing polymer; Experimental study; Composite particles; Absorption spectrum; Methylene blue; Bisphenol A; Sol gel process; Polyvinyl derivative; Fullerenes; Naphthol derivatives; Titanium oxide; Catalyst activity; Aqueous dispersion; Silicon polymer
• ISSN: 0303-402X; 1435-1536
• DOI: 10.1007/s00396-013-3027-5

Fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomer/anatase titanium oxide nanocomposite-encapsulated low molecular weight aromatic compounds [R F -(VM-SiO 2 ) n -R F / an -TiO 2 /Ar-H] were prepared by the sol–gel reactions of the corresponding oligomer in the presence of anatase titanium oxide nanoparticles ( an -TiO 2 ) and the aromatic compounds such as bisphenol A [BPA], 1,1′-bi(2-naphthol) [BINOL], and fullerene under alkaline conditions. Thermogravimetric analyses measurements show that R F -(VM-SiO 2 ) n -R F / an -TiO 2 nanocomposite-encapsulated BPA and BINOL, in which the theoretical contents in the composites are 25 ∼ 32 %, were found to give no weight loss corresponding to the contents of these aromatic compounds even after calcination at 800 °C. On the other hand, the corresponding nanocomposite-encapsulated fullerene exhibited weight loss behavior related to the presence of fullerene under similar conditions; however, UV–vis spectra showed the presence of the residual fullerene in the composites even after calcination. An -TiO 2 in these fluorinated nanocomposites can keep its crystalline structure without phase transformation into rutile even after calcination at 1,000 °C, although the parent an -TiO 2 nanoparticles underwent a complete phase transformation into rutile under similar conditions. Notably, R F -(VM-SiO 2 ) n -R F / an -TiO 2 /Ar-H nanocomposites can give a good photocatalytic activity even after calcination at 1,000 °C for the decolorization of methylene blue under UV light irradiation. More interestingly, these fluorinated nanocomposites before and after calcination were found to exhibit a higher photocatalytic activity at the initial UV light irradiation from 1 to 3 min than that of the corresponding R F -(VM-SiO 2 ) n -R F / an -TiO 2 nanocomposites under similar conditions. Figure Encapsulated BPA and BINOL in the nanocomposites exhibit no weight loss even after calcination at 800 °C, and RF-(VM-SiO2)n-RF/an-TiO2/Ar-H nanocomposites before and after calcination at 1,000 °C can give a higher photocatalytic activity than that of RF-(VM-SiO2)n-RF/an-TiO2 nanocomposites. Notably, the photocatalytic activity of RF-(VM-SiO2)n-RF/an-TiO2/C60 nanocomposites after calcination increased by about 2.5-fold, compared with that of RF-(VM-SiO2)n-RF/an-TiO2 nanocomposites.