UV and thermal dual responsive coatings

Reversible surface wettability coatings have been researched intensively because of potential use in oil/water separation especially seriously oil spill pollution. Herein, a new system has been designed to facile fabricate a UV and thermal dual responsive coating with high adhesion and mechanical robust properties. Bisphenol A-aniline benzoxazine (B), polyacrylate (A) and mesoporous TiO₂ particles (T_mes) are carefully chosen, blended and cured to form a BAT_mes ternary composite coating by a spraying process.

Wettability conversion from hydrophobic to hydrophilic

Resulted coatings show in the wettability conversion from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and excellent anti-abrasion that can keep surface condition after 400 cm abrasion by using abrasive paper (240 mesh) under a pressure of 2.5 M. Meanwhile, the adhesion, toughness and hardness properties of coatings can reach to 5B, 9.8J and 6H, respectively.

Using flexible polyacrylate and mesoporous TiO₂ is the main reason for comprehensive excellent mechanical properties. These findings not only provide a new system for controllable wettability coatings but also offer a new approach for making mechanical robust surfaces.

The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 147, October 2020.