Robust super-hydrophobic ceramic coating on alumina with water and dirt repelling properties

Artificial super-hydrophobic surfaces are required for various applications. The super-hydrophobic surfaces are usually made by applying a low surface-energy organic coating on a highly textured substrate. A major problem with the as-created surfaces is their poor durability. This problem is even severer for the surfaces created by applying the organic coating on inorganic substrates. The present study reports for the first time the all-inorganic super-hydrophobic surface created by modifying the inorganic substrates with polymer-derived inorganic coating. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film was applied to an alumina substrate having flower-like hierarchal micro-nano surface texture, and then subjected to pyrolysis at 400°C in a nonoxidizing atmosphere. As a result, a Si_xC_yO_z ceramic coating with low-surface energy methyl groups was formed on the alumina substrate. The as-modified alumina exhibited super-hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 170° and a sliding angle of 5°. The super-hydrophobicity was well retained after abrasion with sandpaper and exposure to boiling water and acidic solution. The super-hydrophobic alumina demonstrated desired water repelling and self-cleaning function. The method explored in this study could also be used for super-hydrophobic surface modification of other inorganic materials such as glass and metals.     

Spontaneous Directional Self-Cleaning on the Feathers of the Aquatic Bird Anser cygnoides domesticus Induced by a Transient Superhydrophilicity

In nature, the feathers of the goose Anser cygnoides domesticus stay superhydrophobic over a long term, thought as the main reason for keeping the surface clean. However, contaminants, especially those that are oleophilic or trapped within textures, cannot be removed off the superhydrophobic feathers spontaneously. Here, a different self-cleaning strategy based on superhydrophilic feathers is revealed that is imparted by self-coating of the amphiphilic saliva, which enables removing away low-surface-tension and/or small-size contaminants by forming directional water sheeting depending on their unique anisotropic microstructures. Particularly, the surface superhydrophilicity is switchable to superhydrophobicity upon exposure to air for maintaining a clean surface for a long time, which is further enhanced by coating with self-secreted preening oil. By alternate switching between a transient superhydrophilicity and a long-term stable superhydrophobicity, the goose feathers exhibit an integrated smart self-cleaning strategy, which is also shared by other aquatic birds. An attractive point is the re-entrant structure of the feathers, which facilitates not only liquid spreading on superhydrophilic feathers, but also long-term stability of the cleaned surface by shedding water droplets off the superhydrophobicity feathers. Thus, artificial self-cleaning microtextures are developed. The result renews the common knowledge on the self-cleaning of aquatic bird feathers, offering inspiration for developing bioinspired self-cleaning microtextures and coatings.     

Bi@Bi4Ti3O12/TiO2 films on glass with photocatalytic and self-cleaning performance

A stable and translucent Bi@Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂/TiO₂ film was fabricated on conventional glass substrates for the first time. The film exhibited a good photocatalytic performance and efficient self-cleaning capability against organic dyes under full spectral irradiation and visible light irradiation. Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂/TiO₂ film was first prepared on a glass substrate with colloidal silica as a high temperature binder, followed by implantation of nanoscale Bi in it by an in-situ partially reduction of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ to generate Bi@Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂/TiO₂ films. The improved photocatalytic ability is probably attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Bi atom as well as the enhanced electron transfer efficiency and synergistic effect of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ and TiO₂. According to trapping experiments, hydroxyl radicals (OH) were active species in the photocatalytic degradation of dyes under full spectral light irradiation and possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. The film prepared in this work may well have potential practical applications in many aspects, such as cleansing treatments for high building external decorative panels and also systematic characterization of the film suggests that the in-situ reduction is an effective and simple way to produce nanoscale Bi@Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂.     

Multifunctional phase change microcapsules based on graphene oxide Pickering emulsion for photothermal energy conversion and superhydrophobicity

In order to enlarge the applications of microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs), the novel stearic acid (SA)@graphene oxide (GO)/melamine-formaldehyde (MF) multifunctional superhydrophobic microPCMs were prepared with the method of condensation polymerization. We have made a systematical study of the effects of GO content on the SA@GO/MF microPCMs. The morphology and chemical composition characterizations showed the successful fabrication of microcapsules. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) identified that microPCMs could store latent heat energy. According to the contact angles (CA) measurement, the microPCMs displayed the water contact angle of 160.2°, which possessed the superhydrophobic property. Moreover, the self-cleaning property of SA@GO/MF microPCMs was demonstrated by designing self-cleaning experiment. The simulated irradiation experiment showed the good photothermal conversion performance of microPCMs. Owing to photothermal energy conversion performance and superhydrophobicity, multifunctional phase change microcapsules could have vital potentials in energy conversion and self-cleaning.     

光催化技术在建筑环境与设备中的应用及研究现状

简述了光催化技术在建筑环境与设备领域中的研究和应用,目前研究开发的热点是利用光催化技术改善室内空气质量、光催化材料的杀菌作用、光催化材料的自清洁和防雾功能、利用光催化材料强化空调与制冷换热设备的传热性能;对其应用研究现状进行了分析,并指出需要进一步研究的问题。     

Self-cleaning and colour-preserving efficiency of photocatalytic concrete: case study of the Jubilee Church in Rome

ABSTRACT

The Jubilee Church in the south-eastern outskirts of Rome is one of the first buildings constructed with super white reinforced concrete with self-cleaning photocatalytic cement. However, 16 years after the opening of the building, the self-cleaning and colour-preserving properties arising from the titania particles (TiO2) within the concrete mix are not meeting the design requirements and the concrete is showing premature evidence of decay. While the form of the decay is affecting the appearance of the building and not its structural soundness, the ageing pattern of the building's components is resulting in a high maintenance cost, one not easily affordable within the ordinary budget supported by a small parish. This study comprises the first comprehensive step in understanding the causes of the accelerated ageing pattern of the concrete, highlighting methods to improve the long-term durability of the concrete and therefore reduce the cost of its maintenance. Moreover, this research offered the opportunity to test the durability and the effectiveness of the TiO₂ in the real conditions on an actual building featuring non-standard geometries. The findings highlight how the ageing pattern directly connects with the geometry of the building and inadequate consideration of the local weathering at the design stage.     

具有自清洁与自修复双重特性的纤维用涂层的制备与研究

为了解决纤维用涂层在长期使用过程中污渍吸附和开裂磨损等技术问题,首先合成末端带有呋喃基团的硅烷改性预聚体,然后制备末端带有呋喃基团的改性纳米 TiO₂,最后将硅烷改性预聚体、改性纳米 TiO₂以及 4,4′-亚甲基双（ N-苯基马来酰亚胺）（BMI）进行 DA（Diels-Alder）反应得到树脂 /纳米填料一体化复合涂层,并对涂层的结构和性能以及自清洁、自修复效果进行研究。结果表明：涂层损伤能够在不影响疏水性能的前提下得到修复,同时纤维涂层具有很强的光降解污染物的功能,使该涂层具备自清洁和自修复双重特性,提高了纤维用涂层的使用寿命。     

Fabrication and use of artificial superhydrophilic surfaces

Superhydrophilic surfaces have recently received some attention due, in large part to the intense interest on the antonymous field of superhydrophobicity. Imparting superhydrophilicity onto surfaces through coatings, texturing, or choice of materials appears to hold significant commercial promise for the protection for optical devices (e.g. anti-fogging), self-cleaning, and stain resistant paints and flooring and use in the area of ‘intelligent’ coatings. In this review, the fabrication and application of artificial superhydrophilic surfaces are discussed. The focus is on results reported over the past decade for these materials. The contents of this review are written to provide an introductory yet comprehensive overview of this emerging field.     

氟碳-纳米自清洁粉末涂料的制备

采用自制的全氟聚醚聚酯树脂与活性纳米Al2O3微粒,制备出F-C纳米自清洁粉末复合涂料。经扫描电镜、接触角测试仪等测定,涂层表面呈F元素的纳米微观结构,接触角大于150°。实验表明,这种F-C纳米自清洁涂料具有超强的耐候性、抗强碱性及明显的超疏水性。     

逆流再生双室固定床的改造

通过分析我矿水处理主体设备—逆流再生双室固定床存在诸多问题的原因,提出用自清洗双室双层浮动床的新技术对原设备进行改造,重点阐述了自清洗双室双层浮动床的设计思路、特点、改造的方案,并通过改造前后实际效果的对比和经济效益分析来说明其在电厂水处理中具有广阔的使用前景。