UV Curable Robust Durable Hydrophobic Coating Based on Epoxy Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (EP-POSS) and Their Derivatives

Peng Zhang; Ban Qin; Jianhui Xia

doi:10.1021/acsomega.2c00534

UV Curable Robust Durable Hydrophobic Coating Based on Epoxy Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (EP-POSS) and Their Derivatives

ACS Omega. 2022 May 13;7(20):17108-17118. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00534. eCollection 2022 May 24.

Authors

Peng Zhang^{1

2}, Ban Qin^{1

2}, Jianhui Xia^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST), School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Hydrophobic coatings have considerable potential applications in many fields. Ease of operation and high durability are essential for practical use. Fast curing and being solvent-free are a plus, and if they possess certain characteristics (antigraffiti, good adhesion, high hardness, heat resistance, wide range of applicability, etc.) at the same time, it is a dream solution. Herein, a facile one-step approach with the above features was reported for a UV curable robust hydrophobic coating based on Epoxy Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (EP-POSSs). The structure and surface morphology of these EP-POSSs and their derivatives were systematically studied. Because of the core-in-cage structure which was constructed by repeating units of R-Si(O_1/2)₃ and the strong covalent bonds of Si-C and Si-O, the coatings displayed high pencil hardness (6-8H), high thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature around 350-400 °C, and a high water contact angle (up to 108.06°) even after outdoor exposure for a month. These POSSs and their derivatives are expected to find uses in various applications such as stain resistance, self-cleaning, scratch resistance, and cigarette moxibustion resistance of wood furniture, kitchenware, and medical and industrial appliances.