Abstract
Superhydrophobic surface with and without nano-sized
silver particles (AgNPs) using a sol-gel technique were
prepared for antibacterial and chemical stability tests
and electrochemical characterization. Antibacterial tests
showed that the surface with AgNPs reduced the number of
the bacteria. However, to be used in long-term industrial
applications, the surfaces are required to have
sufficient chemical stability in the operation
environment. This is why the stability of the produced
surfaces was studied as a function of pH value of the
solution. According the results, the produced surfaces
are stable in neutral environments but release silver
ions at high rates and dissolve or undergo other
structural changes in strongly acidic and alkaline
environments during a timeframe of few weeks. Chemical
stability of the produced surfaces may be monitored by
electrochemical measurements in addition to
straight-forward contact angle measurements. Open circuit
potential monitoring effectively revealed the presence of
silver on both unexposed and exposed coatings, due to the
noble character of the element. Electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy yielded information on the overall
degradation mechanism of the superhydrophobic
silver-containing coating, although its use requires
calibration by the use of model systems involving
different combinations of all included surface layers and
relatively complex data modelling
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 149-161 |
Journal | Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects |
Volume | 453 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Antibacterial
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- Open circuit potential monitoring
- Silver dissolution
- Superhydrophobic