Development of Thick Superhydrophilic TiO₂−ZrO₂ Transparent Coatings Realized through the Inclusion of Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Pluronic-F127

A thick coating of hierarchically porous double templated TiO₂-ZrO₂-PMMA-PF127 with excellent self-cleaning properties and high transmittance has been developed for the first time on glass substrates using dip coating technique. Comparative studies of this sample with a thick and transparent coating of single templated TiO₂-ZrO₂-PMMA have been performed to probe the origin of its exceptional properties. The formation of the composites and successful incorporation of the polymer into the matrix have been verified by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The porous nature of the film is studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS-WAXS) measurements and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Elemental mapping is used to reveal the presence and the pattern of distribution of constituent elements while Raman imaging is used to fathom the structure of nanopores on the surface of the film. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to detect the presence of Ti²⁺ and thereby verify the chemisorption of water on the surface of the film. The variation in the self-cleaning properties of the samples on UV-illumination has also been studied. The double templated film is found to possess the capability of hydrophilic retention even a day after UV-irradiation