Self-cleaning and anti-corrosion superhydrophobic coatings of PA-TiO2@SiO2 copolymerized hetero compound

Abstract

Inspired by leaf lotus effect, superhydrophobic surfaces have developed rapidly in recent years. In this paper, anatase nano TiO2 with particles size of about 70 nm was successfully loaded on the surface of SiO2 by sol-gel method. SiO2 and TiO2 were chemically bonded by Ti-O-Si and constructed a certain micro- and nano-composite structure. After superhydrophobic composite PA-TiO2@SiO2 was obtained by copolymerizing with acrylate and other monomers. The coating was prepared by drop coating plus spraying coating on glass substrates with water contact angles >160° and excellent self-cleaning properties, which could maintain the performance of the superhydrophobic coating by immersion in acidic solutions or water for 2 days. Meanwhile, the coating on the surface of the glass plate at −20 °C significantly delayed the freezing time of the ice. The rough structure of the surface and the presence of fluorine-containing hydrophobic groups gave the superhydrophobic coating an advantage over acrylate polymers in reducing the corrosion rate of steel surfaces.