Synthesis, characterization, and applications of polyvinylpyrrolidone/SiO2 hybrid materials

This research discusses the properties of hybrid materials formed by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) of different weight ratios, by the sol-gel process, to evaluate the feasibility of its application to process-dyed nylon fabrics. After using equipment including FTIR, C-13-NMR, and SEM, it was shown that PVP and SiO2, are connected by hydrogen bonds, further showing the existence of special functional groups and the porous structure in hybrid materials. The pore size of the hybrid materials, specific volume of pores, and the specific surface area increased with increasing weight ratio of TEOS. In addition, the TGA testing results showed that the thermoresistance of hybrid materials can be improved. The color of the treated fabrics darkened if dyed nylon fabrics were treated by hybrid materials. When using metal complex acid dye for certain fabrics, when hybrid materials were used in finishing, there was significant improvement to the fabric's hygroscopicity and its colorfastness against chlorine. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.