A transparent hydrophilic coating for long-lasting anti-fogging with self-cleaning and antibacterial properties

Transparent substrates with anti-fogging properties endowed by surface hydrophilic modification have been proved to applied in various fields. In this study, a superhydrophilic coating (PAT coating) was generated on glass substrate via dip coating technique using a solution comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), alkyl polyglycoside (APG1214), and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The plentiful hydroxyl groups present in PVA and APG1214 endow the PAT coating with high hydrophilicity for excellent anti-fogging and self-cleaning properties, and facilitate to form a stable homogeneous hydrogen-bonded crosslinked network. Meanwhile, the in situ generated tetraethoxysilane hydrolysate (TEOH) from hydrolysis of TEOS acts as a crosslinker, which can covalently connect the organic components to the glass substrate. As a result, the resulting PAT coating displays excellent stability during various mechanical and chemical durability tests. In addition, the coating exhibits antibacterial adhesion properties owing to the broad-spectrum antibacterial property of APG1214. Importantly, the PAT coating can be easily prepared with readily available and economical raw materials through a simple method under mild conditions that does not require complicated separation and purification, thereby enabling its potential industrial application.