SURFACE MODIFICATION OF POLYETHYLENE (PE) BY THE DEPOSITION OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE (TiO2) NANOPARTICLES TO ENHANCE THE PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITIES

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the preparation of TiO2-deposited materials for the application in different fields of photocatalytic activities, such as photocatalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells, antireflective coatings, and electro-chromic devices. TiO2 particles were deposited on the PE surface by spraying method at room temperature. The deposition analysis was conducted by atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) for monitoring the variation in morphology and different properties. It was found that the surface was deposited uniformly with higher concentration of particles and did not affect the inherent properties of polymers. The deposited TiO2 particles favor the photodegradation of synthetic nonbiodegradable polymeric materials, which will ultimately decompose in the environment.