A multifunctional antifog, antifrost, and self-cleaning zwitterionic polymer coating based on poly(SBMA-co-AA)

AbstractIn this work, a multifunctional coating was developed by grafting a zwitterionic poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)-co-acrylic acid [poly(SBMA-co-AA)] polymer onto a glass slide, which possesses excellent antifog, antifrost, and self-cleaning properties. These properties are attributed to the strong hydration of the hydrophilic zwitterionic PSBMA segments. The durability of the coating can be improved because the carboxyl group (–COOH) of the PAA segment enables formation of a robust covalent bond with the amino group (–NH2) on the substrate. The coating presents long-term stability, as proved by water contact angles, which were stable at 12 ± 1° after exposing the coating in ambient environment for 60 days or immersing in deionized water for 24 h. In addition, the underwater oil contact angle measurement demonstrated that an oil stain on the zwitterionic poly(SBMA-co-AA) polymer coating can be easily removed upon contact with water, showing self-cleaning performance. These properties verified that the zwitterionic multifunctional coating exploited in this research has many potential application prospects, including construction, automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, biomedical, and other optical fields.Graphic abstract