Abstract
In this work, we report on the incorporation of a siloxane copolymer additive, poly((2-phenylethyl) methylsiloxane)-co(1-phenylethyl) methylsiloxane)-co-dimethylsiloxane), which is fully soluble at room temperature, in a rapid-cure thermoset polyester coating formulation. The additive undergoes polymerization-induced phase segregation (PIPS) to self-assemble on the coating surface as discrete discoid nanofeatures during the resin cure process. Moreover, the copolymer facilitates surface co-segregation of titanium dioxide pigment microparticulate present in the coating. Depending on the composition, the coatings can display persistent superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties and, surprisingly, the titanium dioxide pigmented coatings that include the siloxane copolymer additive display high levels of antibacterial performance against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. This antibacterial performance is believed to be associated with the unique surface topology of these coatings, which comprise stimuli-responsive discoid nanofeatures. This paper provides details of the surface morphology of the coatings and how these relates to the antimicrobial properties of the coating.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1610 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Nanomaterials |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2019 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding: The authors thank the Cooperative Research Centre for Polymers (CRCP) and BlueScope Steel for their support of this research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords
- Antibacterial
- Cleanability
- Dynamic nano-topography
- Polyester coatings
- Siloxane copolymer additives
- Surface segregation