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Critical role of particle/polymer interface in photostability of nano-filled polymeric coatings

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Abstract

Nanoparticle-filled polymeric coatings have attracted great interest in recent years because the incorporation of nanofillers can significantly enhance the mechanical, electrical, optical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties of coatings. Due to the small size of the fillers, the volume fraction of the nanoparticle/polymer interfacial area in nano-filled systems is drastically increased, and the interfacial region becomes important in the performance of the nano-filled system. However, techniques used for characterizing nanoparticle/polymer interfaces are limited, and thus, the mechanism by which interfacial properties affect the photostability and the long-term performance of nano-filled polymeric coatings is not well understood. In this study, the role of the nanoparticle/polymer interface on the ultraviolet (UV) stability of a nano-ZnO-filled polyurethane (PU) coating system was investigated. The effects of parameters influencing the particle/polymer interfacial properties, such as size, loading, surface modification of the nanoparticles, on photodegradation of ZnO/PU films were evaluated. The nature of the interfacial regions before and after UV exposures were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based techniques. Results have shown that the interfacial properties strongly affect chemical, thermo-mechanical, and morphological properties of the UV-exposed ZnO/PU films. By combining tapping mode AFM and novel electric force microscopy (EFM), the particle/polymer interfacial regions have been successfully detected directly from the surface of the ZnO/PU films. Further, our results indicate that ZnO nanoparticles can function as a photocatalyst or a photostabilizer, depending on the UV exposure conditions. A hypothesis is proposed that the polymers in the vicinity of the ZnO/PU interface are preferentially degraded or protected, depending on whether ZnO nanoparticles act as a photocatalyst or a photostabilizer in the polymers. This study clearly demonstrates that the particle/polymer interface plays a critical role in the photostability of nano-filled polymeric coatings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials and Construction Research Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Xiaohong Gu, Guodong Chen, Minhua Zhao, Stephanie S. Watson, Tinh Nguyen, Joannie W. Chin & Jonathan W. Martin

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  1. Xiaohong Gu
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  2. Guodong Chen
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Correspondence to Xiaohong Gu.

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Gu, X., Chen, G., Zhao, M. et al. Critical role of particle/polymer interface in photostability of nano-filled polymeric coatings. J Coat Technol Res 9, 251–267 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11998-011-9326-1

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