[nanoPost] Photo-catalytic coating of textiles with nanoparticulated anatase

Company Germany

One of the outstanding features of titanium dioxide in form of anatas, are its photosemiconducting properties. Due to its
oxidizing and reducing potential and the environmentally and toxically harmlessness titanium dioxide can be selectively
used in photo-catalytic purification processes as an ingredient of surface coatings for the degradation of organic
compounds, reduction or elimination of polluted, volatile or annoying compounds on the surfaces or of the indoor air.
Our work focuses on finishing of textile surfaces with nano-sized titanium dioxide particles.
In order to protect the textile against oxidation during the photo-catalytic reaction the surface can be pre-coated with an
ultrathin layer, e.g. of an inorganic-organic hybridpolymer, by means of sol-gel process. The sols can be applied on the
textile by spraying, dipping or other conventional textile coating procedures. The presence of the appropriate functional
groups of the finishing layer on the fabric surface supports immobilisation of nano-particles. The photo-catalytic activity
of titanium dioxide particles deposited in-situ or directly on the previously prepared textile is compared and examined.
The best possible cleaning and deodorization effect should be combined with the adhesion strength of the deposited
particles, their crystal structure, size distribution and porosity.