Microwave-assisted TiO2: anatase formation on cotton and viscose fabric surfaces

The method of TiO 2 -anatase film preparation on cotton and viscose fabric surfaces using the sol-gel process and microwave treatment is presented. Microwave treatment was used to change the amorphous TiO 2 form to anatase directly on the fabrics. The influence of microwave treatment conditions on the obtainable polymorphic form of TiO 2 was examined. Fabrics were pretreated with low-temperature air plasma (30 min). The root mean square height in the selected area increased from 44 to 166 nm (cotton) and from 9 to 112 nm (viscose). Infrared analysis showed the new band at 1748 and 1732 cm −1 corresponding to C=O stretching for plasma-treated cotton and viscose textiles, respectively. The plasma pretreatment also improved the wetting properties by TiO 2 sol and increased the surface free energy of fabrics. TiO 2 film thickness was 180 nm (12 %wg. Ti) and 140 nm (3 %wg. Ti) for cotton and viscose, respectively. TiO 2 -modified cotton reduced the nicotine concentration three times more and TiO 2 -modified viscose was two times higher under sunlight compared to raw fabrics. No changes in strength were observed for TiO 2 -modified cotton, while the strength of TiO 2 -modified viscose decreased about 45 %. No effect of UV irradiation on cotton and a slight reduction of the strength of raw viscose (7 %) and TiO 2 -modified viscose (16 %) were observed. The Ti contents after washing decreased from 12 to 11 % (cotton) and from 3 to 2.6 % (viscose). The presented method allows obtaining TiO 2 film-anatase on the cotton and viscose fabrics, but its total effectiveness is better for cotton fabrics.