Highly transparent antifogging/anti-icing coatings
were developed from amphiphilic block copolymers of
polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-poly[2-(dimethylamino)-
ethyl methacrylate]-block-poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)
(POSS-PDMAEMA-b-PSBMA) with a small amount of
ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) via UV-curing.
The excellent antifogging properties of the prepared coatings
were originated from the hygroscopicity of both PDMAEMA
and PSBMA blocks in the semi-interpenetrating polymer
network (SIPN) with polymerization of EGDMA and
hydrophobic POSS clusters aggregated on the surface. PDMAEMA with a lower critical solution temperature and PSBMA
with an upper critical solution temperature in the block copolymers facilitated dispersion and absorption of water molecules into
the SIPN coatings, fulfilling the enhanced antifogging function. Analysis of differential scanning calorimetry further confirmed
that there was bond water and nonfreezable bond water in the SIPN coatings. The amphiphilic SIPN coatings exhibited the antiicing
ability with a freezing delay time of more than 2 min at −15 °C, owing to the aggregation of hydrophobic POSS groups and
the self-lubricating aqueous layer generated by nonfreezable bond water on the surface. The prepared transparent antifogging/
anti-icing coatings could have novel potential applications in practice.