Reversible manipulation of the adhesive forces of TiO2/polybenzoxazine nanoassembled coatings through UV irradiation and thermal treatment

In this study we mixed TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with 3-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazine (BA), as a precursor to a polybenzoxazine (PBA), to generate nanocomposite surfaces possessing low surface free energies. Because of extreme phase separation between the TiO2 NPs and BA, their mixtures featured nanoassembled structures on their surfaces. After thermal curing, we obtained PBA/TiO2 nanoassembled (PTN) surfaces possessing various TiO2 contents. The mixing of 30 wt% TiO2 NPs into the PBA matrix generated a superhydrophobic surface (static water contact angle: >150 degrees with a sliding angle of approximately 1). We could convert this superhydrophobic TiO2/PBA nanoassembled surface, through photocatalytic oxidation, into a highly hydrophilic surface (static water contact angle: ca. 0 degrees). Interestingly, we could convert the hydrophilic surface back into a superhydrophobic surface through heat treatment. Thus, both UV irradiation and oven treatment induced changes in the surface chemistry of these materials. Furthermore, we could tune the adhesive force of the PTN surfaces by varying the UV irradiation time, without significant changes in the static water contact angle. As a result, we could transport a water droplet among PTN surfaces that had been subjected to UV irradiation for various lengths of time. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.