Abstract

Immobilization of TiO2-P-25 nanoparticles on low-density polyethylene films (LDPE) was successfully achieved through a simple and facile photocatalytic procedure leading to the polymer surface functionalization (generating -C = O species) by TiO2 photo-induced (OH)-O-center dot radicals. A systematic study through a response surface methodology (RSM) of type central composite experimental design (DCC)-2(3) in 3 blocks to find optimal conditions of irradiation time, pH and P-25 amounts was performed. It was found that circumneutral pH (5.0), low amounts of P-25 nanoparticles (0.4 g L-1) and irradiation times of 5 h (LDPE-P25-5 films) may be the best immobilization conditions. This was confirmed by SEM-EDS micrographs and AFM images.