TiO₂ Coatings Via Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Enhancing the UV-Resistant Properties of Transparent Plastics

Abstract

Herein, TiO₂ coatings were deposited on photodegradable polymers for protection from UV irradiation using the atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) technique. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) substrates were coated with titanium tetraisopropoxide as the precursor in an open-air atmospheric-pressure nonequilibrium argon plasma jet. The AP-PECVD-derived TiO₂ coatings exhibited good adhesion to PMMA and PC. The TiO₂ coatings could shield more than 99% of UV light in the wavelength range of 200-300 nm, without affecting the transmittance of visible light. UV irradiation tests on polymer films demonstrated that the degradation rates of PMMA and PC were significantly reduced by one-tenth after they were coated with TiO₂ films.