| abstract |
A method for hydrophilifying the surface of ansubstrate by taking advantage of photocatalytic action.nThe substrate has a photocatalytic titania coating (10).nThe surface of the photocatalytic coating (10) bears thensolid acid that increases a hydrogen bond component (γ S h )nin the surface energy in the solid/gas interface of thencoating. Photoexcitation of the photocatalyst enhances thenhydrogen bond component (γ S h ) in the surface energy of thenphotocatalytic coating (10), accelerating the physicalnadsorption of molecules of water in the atmosphere throughna hydrogen bond (16) onto hydrogen atoms in a terminal OHngroup (12), bonded to a titanium atom, and a bridge OHngroup (14) on the surface of the coating. This results innthe formation of a high density, physically adsorbed waternlayer (18) on the surface of the photocatalytic coatingn(10), thus permitting the surface of the substrate to beneasily hydrophilified. The method is applicable tonantifogging, antifouling, selfcleaning and cleaning ofnarticles. |