Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the assembly of a copolymer-clay dispersion
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: • DSC and DLS evidence the effect of laponite and TiO 2 nanoparticles on the pluronic micellization. • Infrared spectroscopy highlights the amorphous/crystalline state of the samples. • Titania acts as steric hindrance and provides more rigidity to the mixed solution. • TiO 2 preserves the hydrogen-bonded network typical of water. Nanocomposites based on copolymer and clay minerals are attracting increasing attention as they are appropriate for extensive applications. In this work, we present results from an experimental study on the effects of TiO 2 nanoparticles on a pluronic-F127/laponite water solution in the sol state. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) were used to characterize the systems. By DSC and DLS measurements the occurrence of micellization was first investigated. The temperature induced self-assembly was then studied by DLS identifying three relaxations associated to differently sized diffusing structures. The correlation between dynamics and bonding structure was thoroughly investigated by analyzing some specific infrared vibrational bands. In particular, the study of the characteristic absorption band of the ether groups in the dry state allowed to evaluate the amorphous/crystalline component evidencing the presence of more extended conformations in presence of the higher TiO 2 . Finally, the analysis of the bending mode for the residual water provided valuable insight about structural OH groups enabling a distinction between different types of water molecules associated to the copolymer/nanoparticle systems.
Institution: University of Messina
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,020
OpenAlex ID: W4403837979