Flexible photochromic cellulose triacetate based bionanocomposites modified with sol-gel synthesized V 2 O 5 nanoparticles.

Transparent and flexible bionanocomposites with photochromic properties based on cellulose triacetate (CTA) and sol-gel synthesized V ₂ O ₅ nanoparticles were prepared. Poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) (EPE) triblock copolymer was added to achieve nanostructured materials and simultaneously control the dispersion of synthesized V ₂ O ₅ nanoparticles. Investigated bionanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tensile tests, and UV-vis spectroscopy. FTIR results confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds in the bionanocomposites. The miscibility between components improved with the increase of sol-gel content resulting in a decrease of the T _g and T _m of CTA phase as indicated by DSC results. Addition of EPE triblock copolymer enhanced the photochromic properties of bionanocomposites reducing the time of recovery to the initial state after 5 min of UV light irradiation. The biocompatibility of pure CTA and EPE/CTA blends as well as the photochromic properties provided by synthesized V ₂ O ₅ nanoparticles make their transparent and flexible bionanocomposites ideal for possible future applications.
(Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)