Surface Modification of Paper by TiO₂-PDMS-KH550 Coating with Superhydrophobic, Self-cleaning and Oil/Water Separating Properties

Paper is a material that is used in many areas of everyday life. The development of paper with special and environmentally friendly properties will contribute to it being used differently than before. In this work, we present a simple, fluorine-free and low-cost method to prepare a multifunctional paper coating with TiO₂ nanoparticles modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The effects of the content of precursors such as titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and PDMS on the wettability, microstructure and durability of the coating were investigated. The result showed that the coated paper exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties with a water contact angle (WCA) of 162.7° and a water sliding angle (WSA) of 2.5°. In addition, the coated paper showed excellent oil/water separation with over 98% after 10 test cycles and high mechanical resistance with an abrasion resistance of 0.26% weight loss after 20 abrasion cycles using the Taber abrasion test (ASTM D4060) with wheel type CS-10. The results of this study indicate a possible method for producing fluorine-free multifunctional paper, which has the potential to expand the application versatility of the material.