Influence of Fluorine-Containing Monomer Content on the Hydrophobic and Transparent Properties of Nanohybrid Silica Polyacrylate Coating Materials

Abstract

Nanosilica-modified, fluorine-containing polyacrylate hybrid coating materials, consisting of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate (2-EHA), 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (KH-570), and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), are synthesized successfully by free radical polymerization and the sol–gel process. It is revealed that the content of the fluorine-containing polyacrylate hybrid coating materials from DFMA monomers significantly improves the properties of the films. The polyacrylate coating film prepared with a weight ratio of DFMA/MMA at 1:5 exhibits the largest water contact angle of 105.4°, which demonstrates that DFMA can effectively improve the hydrophobicity of the coating film. Moreover, the silicon coupling agent (KH-570) is used to graft silica with acrylate. Spherical in shape, the surface morphology of the nanohybrid film exhibits a core–shell structure, which increases the surface roughness and enhances the hydrophobic properties. The as-prepared fluorine-containing nanohybrid silica polyacrylate film possesses a high transmittance of 89–97% in the visible light region, indicating its potential as a very attractive solution in many practical areas.