Durable and regenerable CuO/TiO2 coatings with long-lasting antifogging and self-cleaning abilities

Extensive research on antifogging technology has been conducted for decades, and recent advancements have focused on achieving long-lasting antifogging performance. This study entailed the fabrication of a CuO/TiO2 coating on soda-lime glass for sustainable antifogging with self-cleaning ability. The TiO2 film, prepared by dip-coating the soda-lime glass in a titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) solution and calcination, exhibited hydrophilicity. Further deposition of CuO via dip-coating the TiO2-coated soda-lime glass in a copper (II) nitrate (Cu(NO3)(2)) solution and calcination allowed the film to maintain its hydrophilicity for a relatively long duration. To adjust the hydrophilicity and duration of hydrophilicity of the CuO/TiO2 coating, the effects of the pH of the TTIP solution and ethanol concentration of the Cu(NO3)(2) solution were systematically studied by conducting UV-vis transmittance measurements, water contact angle measurements, and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis of the CuO/TiO2 coating. The results revealed that tailoring the pH of the TiO2 precursor and the solvent of the CuO precursor solution offers a novel approach to engineer CuO/TiO2 films with tunable hydrophilicity and self-cleaning properties for extended antifogging performance. This study explored the applicability of hydrophilic and photocatalytic coating technologies and affords insights into the effect of surface treatments on the functionality of materials.