Adsorption
of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in aqueous solution
onto a titania nanoparticle film has been studied using in situ attenuated
total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR). CMC was adsorbed
onto the positively charged titania surface in neutral, partially
charged, and fully charged state. The response of the adsorbed polyelectrolyte
layer was monitored upon changing the electrolyte pH and ionic strength.
The degree of dissociation of the CMC increased upon adsorption onto
the titania surface and changed with the surface coverage. Ionic strength
change was observed to influence the degree of dissociation of the
adsorbed CMC similar as when in solution. No significant peak shifts
were observed in the spectrum of the adsorbed CMC during adsorption
or in response to changing solution conditions; therefore, inner-sphere
complexation between the carboxyl groups and the titania could not
be confirmed. The effect of ion identity on the adsorption process
was studied using soft and hard cations and mono- and divalent cations.
The presence of a divalent counterion was observed to cause changes
in the carboxymethyl vibrations, which can be related to formation
of intra- or interchain linkages.