Use of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/niobium oxyhydroxide nanocomposites in photocatalysis: Effect of preparation methods

In this work, nanocomposites were obtained by the dispersion of niobium oxyhydroxide into a poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) matrix by different preparative methods. These methods led to changes in the polymer morphology and in their photocatalytic properties. Thermal and structural properties of the nanocomposites were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)–attenuated total reflection (ATR). Scanning electron microscopy images were analyzed in order to observe the different morphologies of nanocomposites as well as the distribution of niobium nanoparticles in the PHB matrix. The chemical interactions between the polymer and niobium nanoparticles were observed in the FTIR–ATR and thermal analyses. The results of TGA and DSC indicated an improvement in the thermal stability of the polymer and the action of inorganic nanoparticles as nucleating agents in the process of heterogeneous nucleation of PHB. The composites exhibited good catalytic activity for the removal of methylene blue dye from an aqueous medium (～90%) during a photocatalytic process. The different morphologies of PHB/niobium oxyhydroxide composites directly influenced the catalytic activity of the material due to the difference in the dispersion of nanoparticles. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45836.