Superhydrophobic Hexadecyltrimethoxysilane-Modified Fumed Silica Nanostructure/Poly(butyl methacrylate) Composite Thin Films via Aerosol-Assisted Deposition: Implications for Self-Cleaning Surfaces

Abstract

Superhydrophobic coatings with their unique nanostructured surface properties have application in many industrially important technologies but are currently dominated by environmentally problematic fluorinated compounds. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of fluorocarbon-free superhydrophobic coatings consisting of poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and nanostructured hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS)-functionalized fumed SiO 2 /PBMA as self-cleaning surfaces via a facile ambient pressure aerosol deposition route. X-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopy measurements showed successful composite formation. The deposition temperature and HDTMS-SiO 2 :PBMA ratio was optimized to give films that had a water contact angle as high as 161 ± 1°and a sliding angle of 1°, owing to a hierarchical surface nano-and microstructure and a root-mean-square surface roughness of 592 nm. This work shows a high-throughput single-step route to environmentally friendly PBMA-based superhydrophobic coatings.

Self-Cleaning BaSO4/TiO2/HGM/Epoxy Diffuse Reflection Composite Coating for Improving the Lighting Level

“…Using a test base plate with a specification of 30 × 30 cm and hanging a flashlight as a light source at 15 cm directly above (the spot was the inscribed circle of the test base). The lux measuring plate was placed at different horizontal distances of the base plate (25,30,40,50, and 60 cm) and draw the illuminance value measurement points on the plate (take the same center as a semicircle with radius of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 cm and rays drawn with a length of 50 cm every 10°in the center of the semicircle, the intersection was the measurement point, 96 points in total) for illuminance measurement. Using the same model to test the black baseplate, cement slab, and glazed tile to compare with coatings (model 1).…”

“…As a result, the surface reflectivity is reduced and the service life is reduced. To meet the growing demand for self-cleaning materials, the preparation of surfaces with superhydrophobic functions, as well as excellent wear resistance and anticorrosion properties, has become the focus of scientific research and practical application. − At present, superhydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces can be fabricated on different substrates using a variety of advanced processing technologies (e.g., laser processing, self-assembly, electrodeposition, etc. − ). However, these technologies have problems such as complex processes, expensive equipment, and difficult large-scale preparation.…”