ABSTRACT
Plastics are used in cover substrates for billboards, windows, large LED signboards, lighting devices, and solar panels because they are transparent and can be colored and shaped as desired. However, when plastic cover substrates installed in outdoor environments are constantly exposed to harsh conditions such as snow, rain, dust, and wind, their transparency deteriorates owing to watermarks and dust contamination. Herein, we investigated a simple dipping-press coating method that can impart hydrophobicity while maintaining the transparency, regardless of the plastic substrate type. A highly transparent and hydrophobic coating film was formed on a plastic substrate by a two-step process, as follows: (1) application of a polydimethylsiloxane-octadecylamine coating by a dipping process, and (2) embedding (1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodec-1-yl) phosphonic acid-aluminum oxide nanoparticles by a thermal press process. The plastic substrates on which the highly transparent and hydrophobic coating film was formed showed 150° or higher hydrophobicity and 80% or higher visible light transparency. The coating method proposed herein can easily impart hydrophobicity and is compatible with any plastic substrate that must maintain prolonged transparency without contamination when exposed to adverse conditions.
ABSTRACT
As advancements in science and technology, such as the Internet of things, smart home systems, and automobile displays, become increasingly embedded in daily life, there is a growing demand for displays with customized sizes and shapes. This study proposes a pen drawing display technology that can realize a boardless display in any form based on the user's preferences, without the usual restrictions of conventional frame manufacturing techniques. An advantage of the pen drawing method is that the entire complex fabrication process for the display is encapsulated in a pen. The display components, light-emitting layers, and electrodes are formed using felt-tip drawing pens that contain the required solutions and light-emitting materials. The morphology and thickness of each layer is manipulated by adjusting the drawing speed, number of drawing cycles, and substrate temperature. This study is expected to usher in the upcoming era of customized displays that can reflect individual user needs.
