Self-Cleaning and Next Generation Anti-Fog Surfaces and Coatings

✍ Scribed by John A. Howarter; Jeffrey P. Youngblood

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 239 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1336
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200700733

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Due to their high surface energy, hydrophilic surfaces are susceptible to contaminations which are difficult to remove and often ruin the surface. Traditional anti‐fog coatings are especially limited by contaminants, as the prevention of fogging is enhanced as hydrophilicity increases. Thus, advanced solutions to fogging are required which incorporate some degree of self‐cleaning ability without significant losses in anti‐fog character. Potential next generation anti‐fog surfaces are characterized with particular emphasis on extended lifetime stimuli‐responsive surfaces. Surfactant‐based surfaces exhibited simultaneous hydrophilicity, necessary for anti‐fogging, and oleophobicity, necessary for contamination resistance. The combination of these features rendered the surface as self‐cleaning.

magnified image