Photo-Oxidation of Cotton Cellulose Studied by FT-IR Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Abstract
Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FT-IR/PAS) was used to investigate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on cotton cellulose. The infrared spectroscopic data revealed that carboxylic acid was the main photo-oxidation product. It was also concluded that UV radiation was able to penetrate through the cotton fabric and caused oxidation in the bulk of the fabric. However, the highest degree of oxidation occurred in the near-surface of the fabric facing the UV radiation.