Durable bonding of silica nanoparticles to polymers by photoradiation for control of surface properties

Improvement of superhydrophobic surfaces durability is a critical key for potential commercial applications such as self-cleaning and ice repellency. In this study, functionalization of silica nanoparticles by photoreactive benzophenone groups was made in order to covalently bond nanoparticles to polymer substrates to obtain durable coatings. Upon ultraviolet irradiation reactive excited triplet benzophenone species are formed enabling them to react with the polymer matrix through hydrogen abstraction. Two matrices were studied: radiation-curable urethane acrylate and epoxy. The bonding of the particles to the surfaces was evaluated using atomic force microscope nanomanipulation and cross-section analysis. The results have shown a greater stability of the photoreactive silica nanoparticles. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.