TiO 2 Films Synthesis over Polypropylene by Sol-Gel Assisted with Hydrothermal Treatment for the Photocatalytic Propane Degradation

Abstract

The present investigation shows experimental results obtained with TiO2 thin films synthesized by the sol-gel method assisted with hydrothermal treatment over polypropylene, using the dip coating technique. Obtained coatings were characterized through SEM, XRD, UV-Vis and the photocatalytic activity was monitored by GC. According to results, the hydrothermal treatment facilitates the crystallization of the TiO2 anatase phase, which is present in all synthesized films. Crystal size formed from precursor solutions (estimated by the Scherrer’s equation) depends on the time and temperature of the hydrothermal treatment, wherein solution exposed to a higher temperature treatment of 150˚C for 1.5 h (H150/1.5) exhibited a larger crystal size compared to those synthesized at 80˚C for 1.5 h and 3 h (H80/1.5 and H80/3).