Amphiphilic Antifogging/Anti-Icing Coatings Containing POSS-PDMAEMA-b-PSBMA

Highly transparent antifogging/anti-icing coatings were developed from amphiphilic block copolymers of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]-block-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (POSS-PDMAEMA-b-PSBMA) with a small amount of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) via UV-curing. The excellent antifogging properties of the prepared coatings were originated from the hygroscopicity of both PDMAEMA and PSBMA blocks in the semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN) with polymerization of EGDMA and hydrophobic POSS clusters aggregated on the surface. PDMAEMA with a lower critical solution temperature and PSBMA with an upper critical solution temperature in the block copolymers facilitated dispersion and absorption of water molecules into the SIPN coatings, fulfilling the enhanced antifogging function. Analysis of differential scanning calorimetry further confirmed that there was bond water and nonfreezable bond water in the SIPN coatings. The amphiphilic SIPN coatings exhibited the anti-icing ability with a freezing delay time of more than 2 min at -15 °C, owing to the aggregation of hydrophobic POSS groups and the self-lubricating aqueous layer generated by nonfreezable bond water on the surface. The prepared transparent antifogging/anti-icing coatings could have novel potential applications in practice.