Preparation and characterization of a self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr photocatalyst for self-cleaning and ultraviolet resistant cotton fabrics

A novel and efficient approach is presented herein to develop self-cleaning and ultraviolet resistant cotton fabrics loaded with a self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr photocatalyst. TiO2/BiOBr was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and photocatalytic activity. Amino-functionalized TiO2/BiOBr was prepared through the reaction of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane with TiO2/BiOBr and then reacted with sodium 2-(4-(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazine-2-ylamino)phenylsulfonyl)ethyl sulfate (SDTES) to obtain self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr. The chemical structure and dispersity of TiO2/BiOBr, amino-functionalized TiO2/BiOBr and self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr were revealed utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and a zeta potential test. Cotton fabric was loaded with self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr by the dip dyeing method. XRD and SEM were employed to characterize the crystalline structure and surface morphology of cotton fabrics, respectively. In addition, the anti-ultraviolet, self-cleaning and wash fastness properties of cotton fabrics were studied. The photocatalytic test demonstrated that TiO2/BiOBr has superior photocatalytic activity than TiO2 or BiOBr under simulated sunlight irradiation. In addition, the experimental results showed that self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr had commendable dispersity and storage stability. The cotton fabric loaded with self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr had exceptional anti-ultraviolet, self-cleaning and washing properties. The photocatalytic mechanism of self-dispersed and reactive TiO2/BiOBr and its binding reactions with cotton fabric were proposed, which may provide a reference for broad application potential in functional textiles.