Abstract. This study included the preparation of pure polystyrene (PS) and PS/TiO₂ nanocomposites with varying concentrations (2, 4, and 6 wt.%) of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs). The TiO₂ NPs were generated using both the immersion and the electrospinning methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that polystyrene is amorphous and no clear peaks corresponding to TiO₂ NPs were found. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed no discernible interaction between TiO₂ NPs and PS. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis demonstrated that incorporating TiO₂ NPs into PS has non-uniform surface distribution. As evidenced by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the samples obtained by the dip coating technique, agglomerated and layered spherical particles were observed. However, the samples synthesized by the electrospinning method showed that the TiO₂ NPs were well-dispersed, and no agglomerations related to the TiO₂ NPs were detected. The study using UV-visible spectrophotometry showed a positive correlation between the concentration of TiO₂ NPs and the absorbance in both samples prepared by the dip coating and electrospinning methods. The increment in the volume fraction of the TiO₂ NPs resulted in a decrement in the band gap energy of the samples prepared by the dip coating and electrospinning methods, implying that the electron transition from the valence band to the conduction one can be simplified by increasing the concentration of TiO₂ nanoparticles.

Keywords: PS/TiO₂ nanocomposite, dip coating, electrospinning, optical properties, polystyrene, TiO₂.

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