Preparation and characterization of TiO2 sol–gel modified nanocomposite films

In this study, the role of TiO2 MT-150A loading in the polymeric sol was investigated for the synthesis of immobilized TiO2 nanocomposite films on glass substrate using the MT-150A nanoparticles-modified sol–gel method. The nanocomposite film properties were examined using different material characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometer, Scotch tape test and pencil hardness test. The hydrophilicity of films during UV/Vis irradiation and storage in a dark place were evaluated by a contact angle analyzer. The MT-150A loading had a significant effect on the amount of crystallite phases in the films. However, increasing the MT-150A loading in the sol resulted in an increase in rutile phase content. In addition, increasing MT-150A loading in the sol yielded films with higher hydrophilicity but a concentration of 10–30 g/L MT-150A in the sol was found as the maximum for obtaining films with good adherence on the glass substrate.