Role of the surface chemistry of plasma polymer layers on their long-term antifogging behavior

The long-term antifogging capability of plasma coatings obtained from a hydrophilic precursor, such as 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate or acrylic acid, and a hydrophobic monomer, 1H,1H,2H-perfluoro-1-decene (HDFD), deposited on polycarbonate is studied for two different agings. These films, when freshly prepared, show simultaneous hydrophilicity/oleophobicity for HDFD concentrations <50%. They fulfill antifogging criteria: low water contact angle (<20 degrees), high hexadecane contact angle around 70 degrees and preservation of optical transparency after water vapor contact. Depending on their chemical structure, only p-AA-co-HDFD with 20-40% of HDFD retain their antifogging properties after thermal aging, while all of them are altered when dipped in hot water. p-AA-co-HDFD is more efficient than p-DAME-co-HDFD in reducing airborne contamination and improving long-term antifogging performance.