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Surface morphology-driven stability of the hydrophobic Er₂O₃ films

Borowiec, Joanna; Carmalt, Claire J; Blunt, Matthew O; Parkin, Ivan P; (2025) Surface morphology-driven stability of the hydrophobic Er₂O₃ films. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects , 707 , Article 135912. 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.135912. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Hydrophobic coatings have emerged as an indispensable element in enhancing the efficiency and durability of photovoltaic systems, bringing a critical advancement to energy harvesting technologies. This work realizes stable hydrophobic erbium (III) oxide (Er₂O₃) coatings using surface topography engineering. The controlled growth of the films was achieved using aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) from air stable Er (III) β-diketonate complex. AACVD produced hydrophobic Er₂O₃ films exhibiting water contact angles above 90°, with the highest reaching 98°. The fundamental principles underlying water repelling properties of the Er₂O₃ films were assessed in detail via comprehensive physico-chemical characterization. The best performing films maintained water contact angle stability and were resistant to its alteration induced by surface topography which has been shown through time dependent study. This work demonstrates evidence of an intrinsic hydrophobicity of the Er₂O₃ coatings and their long-time stability.

Type: Article
Title: Surface morphology-driven stability of the hydrophobic Er₂O₃ films
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.135912
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.135912
Language: English
Additional information: © The Author(s), 2024. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Hydrophobic coating, Rare earth oxide, Erbium (III) oxide, Aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition, Anti-soiling coating
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10202371
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