Effect of TiO2 on structural and morphological properties of PMMA/TiO2 nanostructures prepared by dip coating: different concentration from TiO2

Abstract

Nanocomposite thin films of (PMMA/TiO₂) are deposited onto glass substrates using the dip-coating technique. The films are prepared from pure PMMA and (PMMA/TiO₂) composites with different molar concentrations of TiO₂. XRD, FE-SEM, FTIR, and AFM analyses are employed to investigate the structural and morphological properties of the thin films. XRD results revealed that the pure PMMA film exhibited an amorphous structure, while the (PMMA/TiO₂) composites showed additional crystalline peaks around 30° corresponding to the (101) orientation. FE-SEM images demonstrated a transition in surface morphology—from a smooth and homogeneous texture for pure PMMA to more pronounced crystalline branched structures with increasing TiO₂ content. FTIR spectra confirmed the characteristic peaks of both pure PMMA and (PMMA/TiO₂) films. Upon TiO₂ incorporation, a new Ti–O vibration peak appeared at 800 cm⁻¹. AFM topographic analysis quantified these changes, showing an increase in the average grain diameter from 18.58 nm (pure PMMA) to 21.65 nm (PMMA/0.3 M TiO₂), while the surface roughness decreased from 168.0 pm to 158.1 pm. The peak-to-peak distance also decreased from 983.7 pm to 721.0 pm, indicating enhanced surface uniformity. These results confirm that the obtained thin films possess good structural and surface properties, qualifying them for use in various applications.