Transparent Surfactant/Epoxy Composite Coatings with Self-Healing and Superhydrophilic Properties

In this paper, highly transparent, robust, and superhydrophilic polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether nonionic surfactant/epoxy (Triton X-100/epoxy, TXE) composite coatings are successfully prepared with a facile, one-step drop-casting method by mixing Triton X-100 with an epoxy resin and an amine curing agent. The hydrogen bond reaction between the hydroxyl group of Triton X-100 and the ether group of the epoxy resin improves the compatibility and reduces the glass transition temperature (T-g) of the TXE composite coatings. The free Triton X-100 surfactant easily accumulates on the surface of the TXE composite coatings, which improves the hydrophilicity of the TXE composite coatings. The TXE composite coatings are self-healable because of their low T-g and the migration of Triton X-100 small molecule surfactant. Any damage arising from denting, cutting, or wiping by tetrahydrofuran can be healed, and the composite coating can regain its superhydrophilic properties through a heating process. The TXE composite coatings demonstrate excellent acid, alkali, salt, high temperature, and ultrasonic-resistant properties. This facile preparation technique has the potential to be applied in the scalable fabrication of multifunctional coatings in anti-fogging, oil-water separation, and optical-electric devices.