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Building a smart surface with converse temperature-dependent wettability based on poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile)
Longbin Chen1, Tao Yang1, Yue Niu1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China. haoli@scnu.edu.cn wangyao@m.scnu.edu.cn and National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China.
Researchers developed a smart surface using a novel copolymer that changes from hydrophobic to hydrophilic as temperature increases. This surface offers a rapid, reversible response for potential applications in temperature-responsive materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Smart surfaces with tunable wettability are crucial for advanced material applications.
- Temperature-responsive polymers offer unique possibilities for dynamic surface property control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a smart surface exhibiting converse temperature-dependent (CTD) wettability.
- To investigate the reversible hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition of the surface with temperature changes.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of an upper critical solution temperature-type (UCST-type) poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) (P(AAm-co-AN)) copolymer.
- Fabrication of a smart surface utilizing the synthesized copolymer.
- Characterization of surface wettability using static water contact angle measurements at varying temperatures.
Main Results:
- The fabricated surface demonstrated a reversible transition from hydrophobic to hydrophilic states.
- Water contact angle decreased from 103° ± 2° to 60° ± 1° as temperature increased from 30 °C to 80 °C.
- A positive linear relationship was observed between wettability and temperature for the UCST-type surface.
Conclusions:
- A novel UCST-type smart surface with CTD wettability was successfully fabricated.
- The surface exhibits a significant wettability change (>35°) with a modest temperature increase (20 °C).
- This represents a new advancement in temperature-responsive smart surfaces with tunable properties.
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