Visible light-photoreactive composite surfaces with thermoresponsive wetting and photocatalytic properties

Fundamentals and utilization of solid/ liquid phase boundary interactions on functional surfaces

“…In one of our previous works [156], such coatings were prepared on pNIPAAm-grafted PDMS basis, with temperature-and composition-dependent wetting and photoreactivity. The visible light-photoreactivity of the surfaces could be attributed to the 15 wt.% Ag-TiO2 photocatalyst nanoparticle content and was also proven to be temperature-responsive in the 25-50 °C temperature range and visible light-photoreactivity (blue LED-nm) at the S/Linterface during methylene-blue (MB) degradation tests (Fig.…”

“…As it was represented by our previously presented works, semiconductor photocatalyst particles (eg. ZnO, TiO2) are preferably immobilized in different polymer matrices, such as fluoropolymers [73,211,214,215], PDMS (both leading to hydrophobic or superhydrophobic character) [73,216,217], or even hydrophilic polyacrylates to achieve superhydrophilicity [211]. To reach the optimal wetting character, one must consider the inherently hydrophilic nature of semiconductor oxides and their possible surface coverage by the matrix material, as e.g.…”

“…As this surface coverage and the roughness, as well mostly depend on the matrix : filler ratio and the preparation technique, the proper selection of these two is crucial. Among preparation techniques, spray- [73,211,[214][215][216][217][218] or spin-coating [219] and casting methods (e.g. doctor blade) [216,220] are the most worthy to mention, however one can choose to apply microfabrication techniques [221] or templating methods [222], as well.…”

“…Among preparation techniques, spray- [73,211,[214][215][216][217][218] or spin-coating [219] and casting methods (e.g. doctor blade) [216,220] are the most worthy to mention, however one can choose to apply microfabrication techniques [221] or templating methods [222], as well.…”

“…Photoreactivity (and wetting) can also be regulated by external stimuli: pNIPAAm-based temperature-responsive macroscopic surfaces [216] and particles or megnetoresponsive systems [217] are both available to prepare. In our previous studies we enhanced thermoresponsive pNIPAAm-grafted PDMS caotings and Fe/PDMS composite grass coatings with visible light-active Ag-TiO2 photocatalyst nanoparticles.…”