Enhancement in the photocatalytic degradation of low density polyethylene–TiO2 nanocomposite films under solar irradiation

Abstract

An enhancement in the photocatalytic degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) under solar radiation was accomplished by incorporating titania nanoparticles (TiO₂) of size 15 nm in the polythene matrix. The LDPE–TiO₂ nanocomposite film was prepared through a simple solution casting technique with 0.1 wt% TiO₂ nanoparticles. The photocatalytic degradation of the LDPE–TiO₂ nanocomposite was investigated using FE-SEM, FT-IR, XPS, XRD, TGA and photoinduced weight loss analysis. To ensure the wide applicability of the method in environmental remediation, the photocatalytic degradation was carried out under solar radiation. We observed that, when exposed to solar radiation, the composite films showed a significant weight loss of 68% within a period of 200 h, which is a remarkable improvement compared to the previous reports. FT-IR and XPS analysis confirmed the presence of carbonyl groups with a carbonyl index of 19, which led to the degradation of LDPE. FE-SEM analysis revealed the mechanism of degradation of the LDPE matrix on the surface of TiO₂ through the formation of pores at the interface. Thus we put forward the development of eco-friendly photodegradable plastic as a solution for the growing concerns of plastic pollution.