Simultaneous Enhancement of Photocatalytic Bactericidal Activity and Strength Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Plastic Via a Facile Preparation with Silane/TiO2

Abstract

This work aims to enhance the photocatalytic antibacterial performance of plastics according to the JIS Z 2801:2010 standard, and to determine their mechanical properties by studying: (i) the influence of calcination on titanium dioxide (TiO2); (ii) modification with different TiO2 concentrations, and; (iii) the effect of silane as a coupling agent. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastics (ABS) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were chosen as the model plastic and bacteria, respectively. The 500 °C calcined TiO2 successfully provided the best photoantibacterial activity, with an approximately 62% decrease of E. coli colony counts following 30 min of exposure. Heat treatment improved the crystallinity of anatase TiO2, resulting in low electron-hole recombination, while effectively adsorbing reactants on the surface. ABS with 500 °C-calcined TiO2 at the concentration of 1 wt % gave rise to the highest performance due to the improved distribution of TiO2. At this point, blending silane coupling agent could further improve the efficacy of photoantibacterial activity up to 75% due to greater interactions with the polymer matrix. Moreover, it could promote a 1.6-fold increase of yield strength via increased adherent bonding between TiO2 and the ABS matrix. Excellent photocatalytic and material stability can be achieved, with constant photocatalytic efficiency remaining for up to five reuse cycles without loss in the yield strength.

Incorporation of TiO 2 and TiO 2 -Ag nanoparticles in recycled high-density polyethylene: Effect of the type of photocatalyst and incorporation method on photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of NO

“…Cazan et al [21] used organosilanes to overcome this issue since these compounds increase the TiO 2 hydrophobicity, facilitating nanoparticle distribution over different polymer matrices (e.g., acrylonitrilestyrene-acrylate terpolymer/TiO 2 composited cool materials [22]; poly(methyl methacrylate)/TiO 2 nanocomposite [23]). These organosilane-modi ed TiO 2 compounds have been tested in antimicrobial applications [24,25]; in those studies, the photocatalytic degradation of Escherichia coli was evaluated using an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic with TiO 2 nanoparticles (1 wt.% of TiO 2 , particle size: < 10 nm) and a HDPE/TiO 2 nanocomposite (8 wt.% of TiO 2 , particle size: 10-40 nm) obtained by melting process, respectively. Composites prepared with organosilane-modi ed TiO 2 exhibited higher dispersion than those prepared with pristine TiO 2 .…”

Editorial for the Special Issue “Polymeric and Polymer Nanocomposite Materials for Photonic Applications”

“…K. Kiatkittipong et al report an influence of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) on antibacterial performance and show strength enhancement when it is blended with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastics (ABS) [ 10 ]. Under optimal conditions, an addition of silane could further improve TiO 2 dispersion on ABS.…”