Clear Antismudge Unimolecular Coatings of Diblock Copolymers on Glass Plates

Two poly­[3-(triisopropyloxysilyl)­propyl methacrylate]-<i>block</i>-poly­[2-(perfluorooctyl)­ethyl methacrylate] (PIPSMA-<i>b</i>-PFOEMA) samples and one poly­(perfluoropropylene oxide)-<i>block</i>-poly-[3-(triisopropyloxysilyl)­propyl methacrylate] (PFPO-<i>b</i>-PIPSMA) sample were synthesized, characterized, and used to coat glass plates. These coatings were formed by evaporating a dilute polymer solution containing HCl, which catalyzed PIPSMA’s sol–gel chemistry. Polymer usage was minimized by targeting at diblock copolymer unimolecular (brush) layers that consisted of a sol–gelled grafted PIPSMA layer and an oil- and water-repellant fluorinated surface layer. Investigated is the effect of varying the catalyst amount, polymer amount, as well as block copolymer type and composition on the structure, morphology, and oil- and water-repellency of the coatings. Under optimized conditions, the prepared coatings were optically clear and resistant to writing by a permanent marker. The marker’s trace was the faintest on PFPO-<i>b</i>-PIPSMA coatings. In addition, the PFPO-<i>b</i>-PIPSMA coatings were far more wear-resistant than the PIPSMA-<i>b</i>-PFOEMA coatings