Control of surface properties is crucial for many applications ranging from coatings to separations. Reversible control can be achieved by using a stimulus such as CO2 to trigger changes in surface properties. The presentation will describe the design, method of attachment, and applications of CO2-responsive solid surfaces. For example, industry still uses oil-based coatings, despite their environmental impact, because of their superior performance which is due to the fact that the polymer binder is dissolved, not suspended, in the solvent. Conventional water-based paints and coatings use suspended particles that are supposed to merge as the paint dries; the practical disadvantages of this mechanism include requirements for a softer polymer and for dispersants, inability to create a high gloss or scratch-resistant coating, and inadequate film formation at lower temperatures. As a result, oil-based paints are preferred for many applications in industry. In order to get the same mechanism of action as oil-based coatings, water-based coatings must consist of a water-soluble polymer, but the resulting coating would be water-soluble and therefore not water-resistant. There is therefore a need for a binder that is solublein water while in the paint can but insolubleafter application. We have developed binders that are soluble in water while in the paint can but water insoluble once applied to a surface. Other methods of using CO2 in water-based paints will also be discussed, as will methods for controlling the surface properties of metal surfaces, fabrics, and particles for a variety of applications such as separations, catalysis, and emulsification. All of these applications use the same basic principle that surfaces with certain basic groups have different properties in the presence of an atmosphere of CO2 than in the presence of air.

CO2 as a trigger for controlling the properties of surfaces and coatings

2019 Fall National Meeting

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