Oil-repellent and antifog coatings based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/hydrolyzed poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride)/fluorocarbon surfactant

In order to improve the oil-repellent and antifouling ability of the antifog coatings, a poly(vinyl alcohol)/hydrolyzed poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride)/fluorocarbon surfactant (PVA/H-PSMA/FC) was prepared by incorporating a fluorocarbon surfactant into PVA/H-PSMA via hydrogen bonds. The microstructure, antifog and oil-repellent properties were investigated in our study, and the results indicate that the strong interaction between the PVA/H-PSMA and the FC provides a good fixation for the FC inside or on the surface of the coatings. The water contact angle (WCA) ranges from 59° to 69° and the oil contact angle (OCA) ranges from 35° to 50°, which means that the PVA/H-PSMA/FC coatings are hydrophilic and oleophilic. The results also demonstrate that the prepared PVA/H-PSMA/FC coating exhibits excellent antifog properties and high transparency. Moreover, the oil droplets may slip off the coating surface without any residue and the glide angle is below 12°. A low content of FC loaded creates a large space between FC molecules, thus providing enough hydrophilicity on the PVA/H-PSMA surface and achieving excellent antifog performance. Meanwhile, the mobile fluorinated alkyl chains on the surface can be reorganized and act as “slides” to easily move oil droplets at low TA, providing oil repellency. The excellent oil-repellency makes the transparent PVA/H-PSMA/FC antifog coatings have potential application prospects in the field of surface protection of optical equipment and solar panel.