Case 13342

Layer-by-layer TiO2 nanocoating on electrospun polymers for increased photocatalysis efficiency

Keywords:
Layer-by-layer assembly, electrospinning, photocatalysis, electrospun fibers, titanium dioxide nanoparticle, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, polyelectrolyte, multilayer coating, permeation testing

Applications:
Substrates that can develop a surface charge, such as protective clothing system, sensors, and electrodes

Problem:

Fabricating polymeric nanofibers having high photocatalytic activity without degradation of polymeric substrates

Technology:
This invention is used to prepare photoreactive TiO₂ nanoparticle coatings through layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules on polymer electrospun fibers. In order to increase the efficiency of the TiO₂ photocatalysis, fibers with a high surface to volume ratio are electrospun from various polymer solutions and subsequently coated with TiO₂ nanoparticles using LBL assembly. Using the electrospinning technique, many different polymers can be formed to create the high specific area substrate, and the flexibility of the polymer fiber is retained after TiO₂ LBL nanoparticle coating.

Advantages:

High temperature calcination is unnecessary

Coating can be applied to most organic and/or metal oxide surfaces to create high specific area substrate

Increases efficiency of TiO₂ photocatalysis

Inventors:

Professor Paula Hammond (Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)

Professor Gregory Rutledge (Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)

Randall Hill (Institute for Solider Nanotechnologies, MIT)

Jung Ah Lee (Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)

Intellectual Property:
U.S. Patent Application Number 12/542174, filed August 17, 2009

Publications:
N/A

Last revised:April 29, 2013

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