Preparation, thermostability, and hydrophobic properties of TiO2/poly(dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate) nanocomposites

Poly(dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate) (PDFMA)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocomposites with high TiO2 content were successfully prepared by emulsion polymerization process. Before polymerization, nano-TiO2 was pretreated by silane coupling agent. Surface groups and composition of the modified nano-TiO2 were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectra. The microstructure of nanocomposites was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, the thermo-stability and wetting behavior were also investigated in relation to the dosage of TiO2. The results showed that the thermostability is improved with the increment of TiO2 content while hydrophilic properties exhibit nonlinear variation with the content of TiO2. The optimal percentage of TiO2 content in the TiO2/PDFMA nanocomposites is 30% that could lead to the higher thermostability and hydrophobicity properties of composites. The maximum water contact angle (WCA) of nanocomposites can reach 120 degrees +/- 1 degrees. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.