Bacterial Cellulose membranes with self-cleaning properties
A new work reports the preparation of bacterial cellulose–SiO2-TiO2 organic–inorganic hybrid membranes with self-cleaning properties.
SiO2-TiO2 (anatase) spherical nanocomposites (around 50 nm in diameter) were prepared by sol–gel process and were successfully immobilised into the BC membrane, in wet and dry states, by post-grafting method, following two different methodologies: dip-coating and spin-coating. Characterisation techniques included Raman scattering, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies (EDS), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
BC membranes with high resistance to washing and chemical stability
The photocatalytic activity was higher in the BC membrane in the wet state, presenting a good self-cleaning performance (fast methyl violet 2B dye decomposition in 30 min). The functional BC membranes with self-cleaning properties also presented high resistance to washing, high chemical stability, and the original features (colour and texture) were maintained.
The study is published in: Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology January 2019, Volume 89, Issue 1, pp 2–11.
