The synthesis and morphology characteristic study of BAO-ODPA polyimide/TiO2 nano hybrid films

Hybrid nanocomposite films of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in polyimide (PI) from 2,5-bis(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (BAO) and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) have been successfully fabricated by an in situ sol-gel process. These nanocomposite films exhibit fair good optical transparency up to 40 wt% of TiO₂ content. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy shows three sharp peaks in pure BAO-ODPA PI. It results from the intermolecular regularity. However, the intermolecular regularity in the hybrid film is disrupted by the introduction of TiO₂ nanoparticles with no sharp peak in XRD spectra. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results confirm the formation of TiO₂ particles in PI matrix. The surface Ti content is much lower than the theoretical bulk content in all hybrid films. The ratio of the former to the latter increases with the TiO₂ content and levels off at TiO₂ wt%≥20. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show that the TiO₂ phase is well dispersed in the polymer matrix. The size of the TiO₂ phase increases from 10 to 40 nm when the TiO₂ content is 5-30 wt%, respectively.     

Balance of mechanical and electrical performance in polyimide/nano titanium dioxide prepared by an in‐sol method

Hybrid polyimide (PI)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films were prepared by in situ polymerization and sol–gel and in‐sol methods (where in‐sol method indicates that in situ polymerization and the sol–gel method were used in the same samples). The mechanical and electrical properties were found to be sensitive to the processing methods and the dispersion of nano titanium dioxide (nano‐TiO₂) in the PI matrix. For the PI/TiO₂ films prepared by the in situ polymerization method, their tensile strength increased with increasing TiO_{2‐in situ} (“TiO_{2‐in situ}” is “the TiO₂ nano‐particles prepared by in situ polymerization method”) concentration. However, the optimal corona lifetime of the PI/TiO₂ films was 15 min at 20 kHz and 2 kV because of poor dispersion. For the PI/TiO₂ films prepared by the sol–gel method, the corona lifetime reached 113 min because of superior dispersion and a tensile strength of about 19.63 MPa. A balance of mechanical and electrical performances was achieved with the in‐sol method. The corona‐resistant life of the PI/TiO₂ films was 43 min, which was about six times longer than that of the neat PI. Their tensile strength was 83.5 MPa; these films showed no decrease in this value compared with the pure PI films. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44666.     

Employment of ultrasonic waves for the preparation of PVA/TiO2‐BSA nanocomposites: Mechanical,thermal, and optical properties

The goal of this project is to obtain poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/TiO₂‐bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocomposite (NC) films in different weight percentages of modified TiO₂. For this purpose, to prevent the accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) in the PVA matrix, the surface of the TiO₂ NPs was treated with the BSA molecules. To achieve this aim, ultrasonic waves were used as an environmentally friendly and green process that decrease the time of reactions, help better spreading of TiO₂ NPs and maintain dimensions of TiO₂ NPs in the nanoscale range. In the end, the features of the PVA/TiO₂‐BSA NC films were considered with a variety of techniques. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray, and X‐ray diffraction showed that the BSA was well placed on the surface of TiO₂ NPs. The thermal gravimetric analysis and UV‐visible results demonstrated that all the PVA/TiO₂‐BSA NC films have better thermal and optical properties than the pure PVA. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46558.     

Atomic oxygen erosion resistance of titania–polyimide hybrid films derived from titanium tetrabutoxide and polyamic acid

A series of polyimide/titania (PI/TiO₂) hybrid films have been successfully synthesized based on titanium tetrabutoxide (Ti(OEt)₄), 3,3′,4,4′‐bezonphenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), 4,4′‐oxydianiline (ODA), and 1,3‐bis(aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane (APrTMOS) by a sol–gel process. The atomic oxygen (AO) exposure tests were carried out using a ground‐based AO effects simulation facility. The chemical structure of PI/TiO₂ films was characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscope before and after AO exposure. The glass transition temperature (T_g) and mechanical properties were examined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and universal mechanical testing machine, respectively. The tensile strength and elongation of the hybrid film decreased with the increase of TiO₂ content, whereas the T_g increased with the increase of TiO₂ content. The effects of TiO₂ content on the morphology and structure evolvement of PI/TiO₂ hybrid films were also investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), respectively. The results indicated that a TiO₂‐rich layer resulting from the Ti(OEt)₄ formed on the PI film after AO exposure, which decreased the mass loss rate and obviously improved the AO resistance of PI films. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Polyimide/nano-TiO2 hybrid films having benzoxazole pendent groups: In situ sol–gel preparation and evaluation of properties

Polyimide/titania (PI/TiO₂) nanocomposite films have been successfully fabricated through the in situ formation of TiO₂ within a PI matrix via sol–gel method. Poly(amic acid) (PAA), which is the precursor of PI, was successfully synthesized by mixing pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), with equimolar amount of a diamine monomer having a pendent benzoxazole unit and two flexible ether linkages in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent. Tetraethyl orthotitanate [Ti(OEt)₄] and acetylacetone were then added to the resulted PAA. After imidization at high temperature, PI/TiO₂ hybrid films were formed. The structure and morphology of the hybrid nanocomposites with different titania contents (0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt%) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the TiO₂ nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed in the hybrid films. The thermogravimetric analysis of nanocomposites confirms the improvement in the thermal stability with the increase in the percentage of titania nanoparticle. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the nanoparticles with an average diameter of 25–40 nm were dispersed in the polymer matrix.     

Preparation and characterization of polyimide/titania nanohybrid films

Thermally stable polyimide/titania (PI/TiO₂) hybrid nanocomposite films have been successfully synthesized through the in situ formation of TiO₂ within a PI matrix via sol‐gel process. Poly(amic acid) (PAA) solution is prepared from 3,5‐diamino benzoyl amino phenyl‐14H‐dibenzo[a,j]xanthene and 4,4′‐(hexaflouroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone solvent. The different amounts of tetraethyl orthotitanate and actylacetone are incorporated into PAA matrix, and then thermally imidized to form PI/TiO₂. The chelating agent, acetylacetone, was applied to reduce the gelation rate of titanium alkoxide. Thermal decomposition temperatures of nanocomposites with a 10% weight loss were in excess of 500°C, and char yields higher than 63% at 800°C in nitrogen. The chemical and morphological structures of the hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the TiO₂ particles are well dispersed in the PI matrix with particle size between 10 and 30 nm in diameter. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1486–1493, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effect of titania content on the physical properties of polyimide/titania nanohybrid films

In this study, a series of PI/TiO₂ nanohybrid materials were prepared from polyamic acid of 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride/3,3′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, and titania precursor by the sol-gel method. The titania content in the hybrid system was varied from 0 to 5 wt %. The physical and mechanical properties of the hybrids such as refractive index, optical transmission, and tensile strength were investigated. It was determined that incorporation of titania precursor into the PI matrix improved the refractive indices and tensile modulus of the hybrid films. It was observed that the optical transmittance and tensile strength of the nanohybrids were slightly decreased with the increasing titania content. It was determined that the hybrid films might have enhanced the UV shielding properties compare to the PI films. Furhermore, the hybrid materials showed better thermal stability than the PI. SEM studies demonstrated that titania particles (1 and 3 wt %) were distributed homogeneously through the PI matrix. The effect of the titania content in the PI on DC conductivity and dielectric constant were also analyzed. For the PI film containing 5 wt % titania, activation energy value increased to 1.0 eV from the value of 0.65 eV. DC conductivity value of the films depending on titania content varied between 3.0 × 10⁻¹¹ and 1.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ S/cm at room temperature. Relative dielectric constants of the films were calculated from capacitance measurements depending on frequency (40–100 kHz) at different temperatures (303–360 K). The values increased with the increasing titania content. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and properties of ternary polyimide/SiO2/polydiphenylsiloxane composite films

A series of novel ternary polyimide/SiO₂/polydiphenylsiloxane (PI/SiO₂/PDPhS) composite films were prepared through co‐hydrolysis and condensation between tetramethoxysilane, diphenyldimethoxysilane (DDS) and aminopropyltriethoxysilane‐terminated polyamic acid, using an in situ sol–gel method. The composite films exhibited good optical transparency up to 30 wt% of total content of DDS and SiO₂. SEM analysis showed that the PDPhS and SiO₂ were well dispersed in the PI matrix without macroscopic separation of the composite films. TGA analysis indicated that the introduction of SiO₂ could improve the thermal stability of the composite films. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed that the composite films with low DDS content (5 wt%) had a higher glass transition temperature (T_g) than pure PI matrix. When the content of DDS was above 10 wt%, the T_g of the composite decreased slightly due to the plasticizing effect of flexible PDPhS linkages on the rigid PI chains. The composite films with high SiO₂ content exhibited higher values of storage modulus. Tensile measurements also showed that the modulus and tensile strength of the composite films increased with increasing SiO₂ content, and the composite films still retained a high elongation at break due the introduction of DDS. The density and water absorption of the composite films were also characterized. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of alumina on the structure and properties of polyimide matrix films

To improve the properties of polyimide (PI), different mass fractions of alumina (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles, unmodified or modified by KH550, were incorporated into PI matrix to form PI/Al₂O₃ hybrid films by in situ polymerisation. The effects of Al₂O₃ additives on the structure, dielectric and mechanical properties of the films were studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the successful preparation of PI/Al₂O₃ hybrid films, and the microstructures of the samples showed a more uniform dispersion of the modified Al₂O₃ nanoparticles than the unmodified ones in the matrix. The dielectric constant of the films increased with increasing filler content, and the maximum electrical breakdown strength of 311 MV m^?1 was obtained with a filler content of 8.0 wt-% modified Al₂O₃ in the matrix. Both unmodified and modified Al₂O₃-reinforced PI hybrids demonstrated improved mechanical properties compared with the PI matrix. Moreover, the properties of films with Al₂O₃ modified by KH550 were better.     

Properties of polyimide hybrids with mixed metal oxide

Polyimide/silica–titania (PI/SiO₂–TiO₂) hybrid films were prepared via an in situ sol–gel process. The PI precursor, poly(amic acid) (PAA), which contains 2,2'‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)‐phenyl]propane (p‐BAPPP), 3,3',4,4'‐ benzophenetetracarboxylic anhydride (BTDA) and 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APrTMOS), was first synthesized; this was followed by the addition of phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) and/or tetraethyl orthotitanate (Ti(OEt)₄) to fabricate PI/SiO₂–TiO₂ films. The relative content of SiO₂ to TiO₂ has remarkable effects on the crosslink structure and resultant properties of the hybrids. XPS results confirm that the amount of Si on the surface of the hybrids is higher than that in the bulk. The distribution of Ti in the hybrid films is contrary to the above trend because of the formation of three‐dimensional Si? O? Si, Si? O? Ti, and Ti? O? Ti networks. The SiO₂ content of the hybrids containing only silica significantly affects their refractive index, contact angle, and dielectric constant. The films with added PTMS show higher contact angles than pure PI because nonpolar segments, ? C₂H₆ or benzene groups, tend to distribute on the surface. Upon the addition of (Ti(OEt)₄), some hydrophilic segments on the surface of the hybrids are induced because of the formation of a crosslinked structure. The denser crosslinked molecular structure, and consequently lower CTE and higher T_g are obtained from hybrids containing more TiO₂. By comparing the above properties and flexibility, the best composition of metal oxides (SiO₂/TiO₂) in hybrids is 20/80. That is, an optimum ratio of metal oxides in PI hybrids induces superior properties for advanced practical applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Morphology of carbon/TiC composite films prepared by carbonization of polyimide/titania composites

Polyimide/titania (PI/TiO₂) composite was synthesized by in situ sol–gel polymerization, and carbon/titanium carbide (TiC) composite films were prepared by carbothermal reduction of the PI/TiO₂ composite at 1,600 °C under flowing argon. The structure and properties of the composites were studied by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The carbon/TiC composite films exhibited metallic luster on the surface and compact structure in cross section with well dispersed TiC particles. WAXD intensity distribution revealed that TiC particles formed by tightly bonding between elemental carbon and titanium formed crystallites which as a filler provided tough films. The results indicated that heat treatment of PI/TiO₂ under argon is a promising method for preparing tough carbon composite films.     

Dielectric and conduction properties of polyimide/silica nano‐hybrid films

Dielectric and conduction properties of polyimide/silica nano‐hybrid films were investigated with the silica content and the testing frequency, using a small electrode system. The hybrid films were prepared through sol‐gel process and thermal imidization, by using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4′‐oxydianiline as polyimide precursors, and tetraethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane as silica precursors. The dielectric coefficient of PI/SiO₂ films was monotonically increased with increasing silica content, and decreased with increasing testing frequency. The dielectric loss of PI/SiO₂ films had no obvious changes with increasing silica content, but monotonically increased with increasing testing frequency. These can be contributed to the different quantity and migration chunnels of current carriers, which were mainly influenced by a few of complicated factors. There were remarkable differences between conduction property of PI/TEOS‐SiO₂ films and PI/MTEOS‐SiO₂ films because of the different size and dispersion status of silica particles in the polyimide matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The interfacial effect of TiO2–Ag core–shell micro‐/nanowires on poly(arylene ether nitrile)

Novel TiO₂–Ag core–shell micro‐/nanowires (TiO₂ shell coating on Ag core) have been successfully prepared via a solvent–thermal method. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analyses revealed that the micro‐/nanowires were composed of Ag, Ti and O elements, and Ag was face‐centered cubic whereas TiO₂ was mainly amorphous. Interestingly, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy results showed that most of the TiO₂ bristles were perpendicular to and uniformly studded on the surface of the Ag cores. Subsequently, TiO₂–Ag/poly(arylene ether nitrile) (PEN) composite films were prepared via a solution‐casting method in order to investigate the effect of TiO₂–Ag on the PEN matrix. SEM images showed that there was good interfacial adhesion between fillers and PEN matrix owing to the special bristle‐like structure. Thermal analysis results showed that the TiO₂–Ag/PEN composite films possessed excellent thermal properties endowed by the PEN matrix. The dielectric constant of the composite films increased to 9.3 at 100 Hz when the TiO₂–Ag loading reached 40 wt%. Rheology measurements revealed that the network formed by TiO₂–Ag was sensitive to shear stress and nearly time independent. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,characterisation and enhanced properties of polyimide/mica hybrid films

Polyimide/mica (PI/mica) hybrid films were prepared from pyromellitic dianhydride/4,4-bis(3-aminophenoxy)biphenyl (PMDA/4,3-BAPOBP) and mica in a solution of N,N-dimethylacetamide. The structure–property relationships of the composites were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. FTIR indicated successful preparation of PI/mica hybrid films. XRD and SEM results indicated that the mica was well dispersed in the PI matrix. The dependence of morphology, glass transition temperatures (T_g), dielectric properties and mechanical properties at room temperature of the hybrid films on the content of mica was discussed. It was observed that T_g, the breakdown strength and tensile strength of the hybrid films, could be simultaneously increased when the mica content was lower than 8?wt-%. Meanwhile, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of PI/mica hybrid films increased with the increase in the mica content.     

Effects of titania content and plasma treatment on the interfacial adhesion mechanism of nano titania-hybridized polyimide and copper system

Nano-titania (TiO₂) incorporated into polyimide (PI) matrix can significantly enhance the adhesion strength for PI/TiO₂ hybrid film and copper system. Surface modifications by various plasma treatments (Ar, Ar/N₂ and Ar/O₂) were also applied in this study to improve the adhesion strength. The Ar/N₂ plasma treatment is regarded as the more effective way in promoting the adhesion strength. The maximum adhesion value of 9.53 N/cm was obtained for the PI/TiO₂-1 wt% hybrid film with Ar/N₂ plasma treatment. It is enhanced about 10 times as large as pristine PI. Furthermore, by Ar/O₂ plasma treatment, a weak boundary of copper oxide was formed at the interlayer between PI/TiO₂ hybrid film and copper which decreases the adhesion strength. The effects of plasma treatment and content of nanosized TiO₂ on the adhesion strength between PI/TiO₂ hybrid film and copper system were studied. Atomic force microscope and contact angle analyses were used to measure the changes in surface morphology and surface energy as a result of plasma treatment. Besides, the interfacial states of peeled-off polymer side and copper side were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on the result of XPS spectra, the peeled-off failure mode between PI/TiO₂ hybrid film and copper was proposed in this study.     

Synthesis of well-dispersed polyimide/TiO2 nanohybrid films using a pyridine-containing aromatic diamine

The sol–gel fabrication of new well-dispersed polyimide (PI)/TiO₂ nanohybrid films is reported. The PI matrixes are synthesized via the polycondensation of pyromellitic dianhydride and a diamine monomer containing several constructive functional groups which introduced some interesting features to the final nanocomposite (NC) materials. The TiO₂–heteroatom interactions associated with the flexible characteristic of polymer backbone (which facilitates the stated interactions) have been led to the fabrication of well-dispersed nanoparticles with less than 100 nm in sizes, as confirmed by means of transmission electron microscopy. Thermal analysis techniques (TGA and DSC) have shown the superior thermal stability of fabricated NCs. The UV–Vis spectroscopy has illustrated a growing trend in the absorption efficiency along with the increase in TiO₂ contents. The created TiO₂ nanoparticles showed amorphous structures according to the X-ray diffraction patterns.     

Synthesis,structural characterization and properties of novel functional poly(ether imide)/titania nanocomposite thin films

In this study, the synthesis, morphology, and thermal properties of new poly(ether imide)/titania nanohybrid films were investigated. The novel diamine containing functional nitrile groups was prepared in two steps by the nucleophilic substitution reaction and it was fully characterized by different techniques. Reaction of this diamine with pyromellitic dianhydride and 4-aminobenzoic acid gave poly(ether imide) with carboxylic acid end groups. This acid functionalized poly(ether imide) was condense with different amount of TiO₂ nanoparticles to provide organic-inorganic bonding, and the flexible films of these hybrid were prepared. The obtained materials were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, UV–Vis spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. TEM of the nanohybrid films with 12% of TiO₂ contents confirms well dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. TGA data indicated that the thermal behavior of the hybrid materials was increased with an increasing the content of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The tensile stress–strain of the hybrids was investigated and the resulting nanocomposites showed good mechanical properties. The permeability and selectivity of the PEI/TiO₂ membranes as a function of the titania weight percentage were study and the results indicated that the permeabilities of CO₂ and N₂ increase with increasing the titania content.     

Poly(lactic acid)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite films: Influence of processing procedure on dispersion of titanium dioxide and photocatalytic activity

Poly(lactic acid)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) composite films were prepared by direct melt processing using three different procedures (i.e., compression molding, twin‐screw melt extrusion, and melt extrusion and thermoforming). The effect of TiO₂ loading and processing procedures on the phase morphology and on the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of the obtained nanocomposites were analyzed respectively by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, universal testing machine, and water vapor and oxygen permeability measurements. The incorporation of TiO₂ nanoparticles into the poly(lactic acid) matrix increased the crystallinity and improved the barrier properties of the composites. The maximum tensile strength was achieved at the 2% content of TiO₂ for the films produced by compression molding and twin‐screw melt extrusion, whereas the tensile strength for films produced by melt extrusion and thermoforming decreases markedly with an increasing TiO₂ content. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained nanocomposites were investigated by analyzing the degradation of methyl orange. Results confirmed that the processing procedures and the distribution of TiO₂ in the polymer matrix are the key parameters, which rule the photocatalytic behavior of composite films. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Long-range dipole–dipole energy transfer enhancement via addition of SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposite in PFO/MEH-PPV hybrid thin films

Different weight ratios of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl) (PFO)/poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) hybrid thin films, with and without a SiO₂/TiO₂ nanocomposite (NC), were successfully prepared using a solution blending method. All samples were deposited onto glass substrates by a spin coating technique to produce homogeneous thin films. The effect of the SiO₂/TiO₂ NC on the enhancement of the energy transfer mechanism in the PFO/MEH-PPV hybrids was investigated. The energy transfer parameters were calculated on the basis of the absorption and emission measurements. The long-range dipole–dipole energy transfer (Förster type) between the acceptor and donor molecules was enhanced in the presence of the SiO₂/TiO₂ NC in the hybrid thin films. The addition of the SiO₂/TiO₂ NC in the PFO/MEH-PPV hybrids reduced the distance between the donor and acceptor molecules more than the individual addition of SiO₂ or TiO₂ nanoparticles. Moreover, the direct relationships between the acceptor contents and energy transfer parameters, such as the energy transfer radius (R_DA), energy transfer efficiency (η), and energy transfer probability (P_DA), were estimated using theoretical fittings. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47845.     

Structure and properties of composite films prepared from cellulose and nanocrystalline titanium dioxide particles

Composite films were successfully prepared from cellulose and two kinds of nanocrystalline TiO₂ particles in a NaOH/urea aqueous solution (7.5 : 11 in wt %) by coagulation with H₂SO₄ solution. The structure, morphology, and properties of the films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, TGA, tensile testing, UV–vis spectroscopy, and antibacterial test. The results indicated that TiO₂ particles in a cellulose matrix maintained the original nanocrystalline structure and properties. TiO₂(I) (anatase) and TiO₂(II) (the mixture of anatase and rutile) particles exhibited a certain miscibility with cellulose. The tensile strength of two kinds of composite films was higher than 70 and 75 MPa, when the content of TiO₂(I) and TiO₂(II) was 4 and 11 wt %, respectively. The cellulose composite films containing nanocrystalline TiO₂ particles displayed distinct antibacterial abilities and excellent UV absorption. This work provides a potential way for preparing functional composite materials from cellulose and inorganic nanoparticles in a NaOH/urea aqueous solution, without a destruction of the structure and properties of the particles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3600–3608, 2006