Effect of ZnO nanoparticles morphology on UV blocking of poly (vinyl alcohol)/ZnO composite nanofibers

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared via hydrothermal precipitation and sol-gel process. For the hydrothermal precipitation, additional surfactants such as hexa decyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were added as capping agents to control the size of the nanoparticles. UV transmission of PVA/ZnO composite nanofibers web decreased considerably with the addition of ZnO nanoparticles, and the effect of ZnO was more noticeable with decreasing ZnO particle size. PVA nanofibers mixed with sol-gel synthesized colloidal ZnO is most effectively blocked UV. The skin (ZnO)/Core (PVA) pair composite nanofibers showed the greatest UV blocking ability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.