Polymer Decorated Zn-MOF (ZIF-8-NH2) for the Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Material via Metal-free Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

We report a general method for the synthesis of polymer-decorated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the fabrication of superhydrophobic materials through photoinduced metal-free atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Firstly, an MOF material, ZIF-8-NH₂, was synthesized through the self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands at room temperature. ZIF-8-NH₂ was then reacted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) to form ZIF-8@GMA. Finally, ZIF-8@GMA-PHFBA was prepared by grafting fluorinated monomer 2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA), from the ZIF-8@GMA surface via photoinduced ATRP under 365 nm UV light. The structural evolution during the metal-free ATRP modification of ZIF-8-NH₂ was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The test results verified that ZIF-8-NH₂ and ZIF-8@GMA-PHFBA were successfully synthesized, and that the surface graft polymerization did not change the structure and morphology of ZIF-8-NH₂. After anchoring the ZIF-8@GMA-PHFBA hybrid material on the fabric surface, the water contact angle (WCA) of the ZIF-8@GMA-PHFBA hybrid material-modified fabric surface reached 154.2°, which achieved a superhydrophobic state. In addition, the oil-water separation experiment and self-cleaning test demonstrated that the ZIF-8@GMA-PHFBA hybrid material-modified fabric has an excellent oil-water separation effect and self-cleaning performance. This material shows promising potential for applications in self-cleaning and oil-water separation technologies.