Antifogging and antibacterial properties of amphiphilic coatings based on zwitterionic copolymers

Tackling fogging and microbial infection problems related to the endoscope lens remain challenges due to visual disturbances and bacterial threats to human health. Herein, highly transparent antifogging and antibacterial coatings were developed in a facile way by thermal curing of zwitterionic copolymers poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-2-aminoethyl methacrylate-co-sulfobetaine methacrylate)s with 1,3,5-triformylbenzene. Characterizations of surface chemical composition and wettability suggested that the copolymer coatings exhibited amphiphilicity with a hydrophobic surface and internal hydrophilicity. The prepared amphiphilic coating exhibited excellent antifogging properties both in vivo and in vitro. The introduction of hydrophobic n-butyl methacrylate and cationic aminoethylmethacrylate could improve the stability and antibacterial capability of the coating. The growth inhibition rates of the coatings against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were up to 99% and the copolymer coatings with the zwitterionic groups had low hemolytic rates less than 3%. The amphiphilic copolymer coatings combined antifogging and antibacterial properties may have a promising potential for applications in biomedical devices.     

Self-healing anti-icing coatings prepared from PDMS polyurea

With the help of double hydrogen bonds between urea groups, a self-healing anti-icing coating was prepared from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based polyurea (PDMSPU) that was synthesized from bis(3-aminopropyl)-terminated PDMS and 2,4-toluene diisocyanate. Furthermore, by incorporating a lubricant of inert silicone oil and the cross-linking agent of 1,3,5-tris-(4-aminophenoxy)benzene (TAPOB), the anti-icing coatings exhibited elastic, slippery and durable properties. The wettability, ice shear strength, abrasion-resistance, mechanical and self-healing properties of the prepared anti-icing coatings were systematically investigated. Results showed that the ice shear strength of the PDMSPU anti-icing coating with 150 wt% silicone oil was 7.9±2.9 kPa, significantly lower than that of pristine PDMSPU (74.7±7.2 kPa). The additional introduction of 2 wt% TAPOB could effectively counteract the adverse effect of the lubricant so that the tensile strength (∼1 MPa) of the coating could be comparable to pristine PDMSPU (855±96 kPa). The PDMSPU coating containing 150 wt% silicone oil and 2 wt% TAPOB could maintain the ice shear strength below 50 kPa against 10 icing/deicing cycles and at 12.0±3.3 kPa after 5000 abrasion cycles, and exhibit self-healing properties after treating at 60°C for 10 or 15 h. The slippery self-healing PDMSPU anti-icing coatings could be suitable for anti-icing surfaces in low temperature environments.