Photocatalytic Ag-ZnO - poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate composite film for translucent coating application

Biological elastomer i.e., medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) and its graft copolymer were investigated for reactive coating application. They were composited with silver-doped zinc oxide (Ag-ZnO) to produce films with photocatalytic activities. The activities were assessed from the photodegradation efficiencies of methylene blue, Rhodamine B and Orange II dyes. The PHA composite films demonstrated sustained photocatalytic activities over repeated usage compared to neat PHA. The presence of Ag also inhibits microbial growth on the film surface. The composite film exhibited negligible toxicity effect when tested against Ceriodaphnia dubia. Potential and advantages of Ag-ZnO-PHA composite film in reactive coating applications are discussed.

Automated summary

Biological elastomer, medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA), and its graft copolymer were studied for reactive coating application. The films composited with silver-doped zinc oxide (Ag-ZnO) demonstrated sustained photocatalytic activities and inhibited microbial growth on the film surface. The Ag-ZnO-PHA composite film showed negligible toxicity and potential advantages in reactive coating applications.