A novel two-step modification of TiO2 nanoparticles for PAN fibers with enhanced mechanical strength, UV shielding and antibacterial properties

Abstract

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) are highly effective UV-blocking agents with potential for textile applications. However, their tendency to aggregate compromises their performance and limits their use. This study addresses this challenge by employing a novel two-step surface modification strategy using ODA-KH570 and ECH-KH590 to enhance TiO₂ NPs dispersion within polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. FTIR, XPS, and XRD analyses confirmed successful grafting of the modifiers. Crucially, incorporating 1 % ECH-KH590-TiO₂/PAN fibers via wet spinning yielded a remarkable increase in mechanical properties, with break tensile strength reaching 7.49 MPa and elongation at 21.0 % – significantly surpassing pure PAN fibers. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the modification strategy in achieving superior dispersion and reinforcement, paving the way for high-performance UV-protective textiles. The experimental results demonstrate that the optimized ECH-KH590-TiO₂/PAN fibers exhibit excellent UV shielding performance (UPF ∼ 45.21) and remarkable antibacterial properties (E. coli: ∼92.57 %, S. aureus: ∼90.77 %). These features highlight their potential for applications in multifunctional textiles.