Preparation of Iron-Doped Titania Nanoparticles and Their UV-Blue Light-Shielding Capabilities in Polyurethane

It is well known that ultraviolet (UV) and blue light cause a series of health problems and damages to polymer materials. Therefore, there are increasing demands for UV-blue light-shielding. Herein, a new type of iron-doped titania (Fe-TiO2) nanoparticle was synthesized. Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles with small particle size (ca. 10 nm) are composed of anatase and brookite. The iron element is incorporated into the lattice of titania and forms a hematite phase (alpha-Fe2O3). The iron doping imparted full-band UV and blue light absorption to Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles, and greatly suppressed the photocatalytic activity. The prepared Fe-TiO2/polyurethane (PU) films exhibited prominent UV-blue light-shielding performance and high transparency, which showed great potential in light-shielding fields.