pH-dependent structure and wettability of TiO2-based wood surface

• The TiO2 films with desirable wettability were achieved on the wood surface.
• The wettability of the TiO2-treated wood surface could be tuned by adjusting the precursor solution pH.
• This research may provide a simple method to fabricate a desirable TiO2/wood surface suitable for various environments with different humidity.

TiO2 thin films with different wettability were fabricated on the wood surfaces by a simple low-temperature hydrothermal method with the precursor solution pH adjusted by hydrochloric acid/sodium hydroxide. The morphologies of TiO2 films have been changed from sphere species to filmy ones by adjusting pH of precursor solution. The TiO2 films synthesized at the precursor solution pH of 1~10 were mainly primary existed in anatase phase without other structure, and the TiO2-treated wood surfaces presented different wettability with the water contact angles ranged from 9.6° to 132.7°, when the precursor solution pH were controlled to the range of 1~14. Such a wood surface with the desirable wettability shows great potential, as it may be selectively used in the various environments with different humidity.

The wood surfaces with different wettability between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity were fabricated by adjusting the precursor solution by HCl/NaOH.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide