One-Step Assembly of Phytic Acid Metal Complexes for Superhydrophilic Coatings

Longbiao Li; Guangyu Zhang; Zhaohui Su

doi:10.1002/anie.201604671

One-Step Assembly of Phytic Acid Metal Complexes for Superhydrophilic Coatings

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2016 Jul 25;55(31):9093-6. doi: 10.1002/anie.201604671. Epub 2016 Jul 5.

Authors

Longbiao Li¹, Guangyu Zhang¹, Zhaohui Su²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P.R. China.
² State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P.R. China. zhsu@ciac.ac.cn.

PMID: 27377349
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201604671

Abstract

While of immense scientific interest, superhydrophilic surfaces are usually difficult to prepare, and preparation methods are typically substrate specific. Herein, a one-step coating method is described that can endow superhydrophilicity to a variety of substrates, both inorganic and organic, using the coordination complexes of natural phytic acid and Fe(III) ions. Coating deposition occurs in minutes, and coatings are ultrathin, colorless, and transparent. Superhydrophilicity is attributed, in part, to the high density of phosphonic acid groups. The ease, rapidness, and mildness of the assembly process, which is also cost-effective and environmental-friendly, points towards potential applications, such as self-cleaning, oil/water separation, antifogging.

Keywords: antifogging; coating; green process; oil/water separation; superhydrophilic.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't