Transparent and Self-Cleaning Surfaces Based on Nanocomposite Sol-Gel Coatings

摘要

abstract_textpIn this study, transparent anti-fogging and self-cleaning nanocomposite coatings based on sponge-like TiO2-SiO(2)nanoparticles on glass substrate were prepared through the sol-gel process, by using spin-coating and spray gun techniques to coat small and large glass surfaces. The effect of annealing temperature on the morphology, wettability, UV-Vis transmittance, refractive index, thickness, photocatalytic degradation rate and the anti-fouling effect was studied in detail. Indeed, the self-cleaning properties of the nanocomposite coatings were evaluated as efficient by both photocatalytic degradation of orange G (OG) dye under natural sunlight irradiation and water contact angle (WCA) method under atmospheric out-door conditions. It should be noted that the optical transmission of nanocomposite coatings remains important (85-87 ) compared to the ordinary glass (92 ) with lower haze value, which confirms their clear optical appearance. The nanocomposite coatings rendered the glass substrate hydrophilic with a WCA value that not exceeding 12 degrees after fifteen weeks of out-door exposure. Photocatalytic degradation rate relative to OG up to 7.9 were achieved for the nanocomposite coating annealed at 500 degrees C after 8 hours of sunlight exposition. The soil attachment test reveal that nanocomposite coatings prevent the accumulation of soil particles and has an excellent anti-fouling and anti-fogging properties. These findings indicated that the TiO2-SiO(2)nanocomposite coatings could be a very attractive solution for many practical areas (environment, energy and building sectors) especially for outdoor applications./p/abstract_text