Entropy-Driven Segregation of a Hydrophilic Cage Octasilicate for Improving Surface Hydrophilicity AITranslate

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DOI：https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c00471

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Surface segregation of small amounts of additives in a polymer matrix is the most convenient and low-cost method to modify surface properties and functions. Although the surface segregation approach can increase the hydrophobicity of polymer surfaces, it is still a challenge to make the surfaces hydrophilic in an equivalent method. Here, we demonstrated that segregation of octa(dimethylsilylhydroxyethoxypropyl)silicate (OS-EGMAE), as a hydrophilic siloxane-based cage compound, occurred on the surface and at the interface of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) casting films without assistance of contacting high-free energy media. Addition of small amounts of OS-EGMAE in PMMA significantly enhanced wettability, and the lowest static contact angle of water of 28.9 ± 0.5° was observed for the cast film containing 4 wt % OS-EGMAE. The surface segregation of OS-EGMAE was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These findings clearly suggest that the siloxane-based cage frameworks are promising candidates for promoting surface segregation because of their predominantly contributed entropy factor to the total free energy.