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Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
Free-standing, flexible, multifunctional, and environmentally stable superhydrophobic composite film made of
Ting Dong1, Yan Zhou2, Diangang Hu1
1Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Abstract:
A free-standing, flexible, transparent, and fluorescent superhydrophobic composite film is fabricated by drop-casting a layer of organic self-assembled flowerlike micro/super-nanostructures on top of a hydrophobic polyimide film. The solution process to grow the organic super-nanostructures, fabricate the composite film, and lift-off the film from the mother substrate, ensures the process simplicity, low-cost, and scalability. The water contact angle (CA) of the superhydrophobic composite films reaches as high as 159.6°, and the sliding angle (SA) is less than 2° without any further low surface energy treatment. The as-prepared film shows superhydrophobicity with a CA above 150° covering the entire pH range. Moreover, the composite film exhibits good environmental stability against both organic solvent treatment and being exposed to acidic and aqueous solutions. The fluorescence from the composite film extends the potential application of the film into the optoelectronic field. The results may open up an avenue to prepare smart and intelligent superhydrophobic films for application.
