Ecofriendly UV-protective films based on poly(propylene carbonate) biocomposites filled with TiO2 decorated lignin

It is highly desirable to develop biodegradable UV-shielding materials from the renewable resources as the ever-increasing demand for the sustainable environment. In this work, TiO2 decorated lignin particles (TiO2@lignin) were synthesized successfully by hydrothermal method in aqueous solution to improve the UV shielding performance of lignin particles. The poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) composite films (thickness of similar to 23 mu m) with different contents of TiO2@lignin were prepared via a blade-casting method. Morphological analysis showed that the TiO2@lignin dispersed uniformly in the PPC matrix with a good miscibility. UV-vis transmission spectra results revealed that the PPC composite film containing 5 wt%TiO2@lignin could absorb about 90% of UV light in the full UV band (200-400 nm), indicating the TiO2@lignin had a good UV-shielding property. Moreover, the presence of TiO2@lignin could significantly improve the thermal stability of the PPC/TiO2@lignin composite films. The DMA results showed that the introduction of TiO2@lignin could enhance the storage modulus and glass transition temperature simultaneously. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.