Preparation and Characterization of PBMA/SiO 2 -TiO 2 Hybrid Fibres

Silica-titania (SiO₂-TiO₂) blend sols were prepared via a sol-gel method from tetraethoxylsilane and tetrabutyl titanate. Poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)/SiO₂-TiO₂hybrid sols were synthesized through in-situ polymerization of butyl methacrylate (BMA) in the blend sol. After ageing treatment, PBMA/SiO₂-TiO₂ hybrid fibres were prepared by drawing from the hybrid sol. The mechanism of the hybrid reaction was studied carefully. The hybrid fibres were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fluorescence Spectrophotometry (FL), Ultraviolet Visible Spectrometry (UV-Vis) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). FT-TR results suggested that PBMA was linked to SiO₂-TiO₂ network through chemical bonds. SEM measurements indicated that the diameter of the fibres was about 50 μm, and the whole system was homogeneous. HRTEM images showed that the dimensions of the organic phase were about 50 nm, and the distributions of the organic phase were not very uniform. FL and UV-Vis measurements confirm the fluorescence of the hybrid fibres with improved shielding to UV TGA measurements suggest that the hybrid fibres show better resistance to heat than pure PBMA.