Fabrication and use of artificial superhydrophilic surfaces

Abstract

Superhydrophilic surfaces have recently received some attention due, in large part to the intense interest on the antonymous field of superhydrophobicity. Imparting superhydrophilicity onto surfaces through coatings, texturing, or choice of materials appears to hold significant commercial promise for the protection for optical devices (e.g. anti-fogging), self-cleaning, and stain resistant paints and flooring and use in the area of ‘intelligent’ coatings. In this review, the fabrication and application of artificial superhydrophilic surfaces are discussed. The focus is on results reported over the past decade for these materials. The contents of this review are written to provide an introductory yet comprehensive overview of this emerging field.

Keywords:

• wettability
• superhydrophilic
• self-cleaning
• anti-fogging

Acknowledgment

This work was supported, in part, by the Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Station, Project Number 1543-384-3650.