Study on novel antibacterial high-impact polystyrene/TiO2 nanocomposites

TiO2 nanoparticles were introduced into High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) in the form of master batch where TiO2 was pre-dispersed in HIPS by melt compounding. The microstructures and properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) composition distribution maps indicate that TiO2 nanoparticles are dispersed randomly in the nanocomposites comprising low TiO2 content (≤2wt.%), while the dispersion is inferior at high TiO2 content. The variation in the dispersion behavior influences the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. Significantly, the surface of nanocomposites shows a strong absorption of UV light in the wavelength range of 250∼400 nm, an increase in the TiO2 content of nanocomposites raises the absorbance in the region. HIPS/TiO2 nanocomposites have a satisfactory antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli(E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).