Evaluation of Self-cleaning Properties of Leather Surface with TiO2 Nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is well known for its photocatalytic capabilities, and its applications cover different areas, such as wastewater treatment, sunscreen and ultraviolet (UV) blocking, among others. Its application as a photocatalytic additive for self-cleaning properties has been reported with different substrates, resulting in stain degradation. As such, the goal of this work was to functionalise two types of nubuck leather, conferring on them self-cleaning properties. For this purpose, two photocatalytic materials were tested: a commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25 TiO2) and SiO2@TiO2 nanoparticles, which were applied onto leather surfaces by a spray coating technique. The hydrophilic behaviour of these two types of nubuck leather was determined by contact angle (CA) measurement, using the sessile drop technique. The finished samples of nubuck leather were characterized by measuring their diffuse reflectance. The self-cleaning properties of finished nubuck leather samples were evaluated through their ability to photodegrade an organic stain, rhodamine-B dye. The P25 TiO2 and SiO2 @TiO particles did not provide self-cleaning properties for the two types of nubuck leather, indicating the need for more in-depth research on the use of these particles for self-cleaning purposes.