One-step preparation of green hydrophilic anti-fogging coating with excellent frost resistance

Anti-fogging is crucial to applications in harsh cold environment, for which ensuring the clear sight for people and the accuracy of certain precise instruments. Although there have been some studies on frost-resistant coatings in recent years, the duration of their anti-fogging under frost conditions is not long, and the complexity of the preparation process also makes it difficult to put them into practical use. In this paper, anti-fog coatings with good anti-fog and durability properties are prepared in a one-step process using hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), hydroxy ethyl cellulose (HEC), and anhydrous ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ) as materials. The raw materials of the coating and the preparation process are green and environmentally friendly. The light transmittance of the coated glass can exceed 90 % under the harsh fogging environment. The hydrogen-bond effects impart the anti-fogging coating durability for continuous anti-fogging under harsh environments, such as 3000 cycles fabric abrasion and one-year-long term frosting at −20 °C. The presented anti-fogging strategy can be used in daily scenarios and have great application prospects in severe cold environments.