The Function of Cross Linker Carboxylic Acid for TiO2/Chitosan/SiO2 Coated as Self Cleaning Fabrics

The chemical compound TiO2/Chitosan/SiO2 is a photocatalyst with a self- cleaning capability against dye contaminations. Morphologically, it has an anatase structure with 13.1 nm of crystallite size, spherical shape, and Eg = 3.209 eV as characterized by X-ray diffraction, TEM, and UV-DRS. The self-cleaning capability of TiO2/Chitosan/SiO2 against the malachite green dye spot was optimized using two carboxylic acid cross-linkers namely 1,2,3,4- Buthane Tetra Carboxylic Acid (BTCA) and Chloro Acetic Acid (CAA). The optimization in enhanced the growth of ester covalent interaction with the functional groups of textile fiber was performed gradually in CAA and directly in BTCA to produce a self-cleaning textile. The self-cleaning efficiency of cross-linker under the UV irradiation (536 lux for 60 min) was 96% and 69.96% in CAA and BTCA, respectively. The FT-IR analysis revealed that the ester covalent interaction among the cross-linker, cotton fiber, and TiO2/chitosan/SiO2 nanocluster could be determined by the intensity change of C=O stretching of the functional group at 1700-1710 cm-1. The intensity was higher in CAA (15.03%) than BTCA cross-link (12.04%). The superficial morphological feature of the cotton fiber as observed by SEM depicted that TiO2/chitosan/SiO2 particles were dispersed more evenly in the CAA than BTCA. The TiO2/chitosan/SiO2 nanocluster with a CAA cross-link is reliable to be used indesigning a high-quality self-cleaning textile.