Stable Hydrophobic Metal-Oxide Photocatalysts via Grafting Polydimethylsiloxane Brush

Sanghyuk Wooh; Noemí Encinas; Doris Vollmer; Hans-Jürgen Butt

doi:10.1002/adma.201604637

Stable Hydrophobic Metal-Oxide Photocatalysts via Grafting Polydimethylsiloxane Brush

Adv Mater. 2017 Apr;29(16). doi: 10.1002/adma.201604637. Epub 2017 Feb 14.

Authors

Sanghyuk Wooh¹, Noemí Encinas¹, Doris Vollmer¹, Hans-Jürgen Butt¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Physics at Interfaces, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128, Mainz, Germany.

PMID: 28195666
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201604637

Abstract

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can be grafted to metal-oxide photocatalysts such as titanium oxide by simple UV irradiation in solution or melt. The PDMS graft metal oxides are still photocatalytically active. They are hydrophobic, liquid repellent, self-cleaning, prevent biofouling and are long-term stable even in UV light.

Keywords: hydrophobicity; liquid repelling surfaces; metal-oxide photocatalysts; polydimethylsiloxane grafting; silicone brushes.