Enhanced cleanability of super-hydrophilic TiO2–SiO2 composite surfaces prepared via a sol–gel route

The cleanability of material surfaces is cause for concern for a lot of industrial and domestic applications. Here, we report on TiO2–SiO2 composite thin films deposited via a sol–gel route. These films exhibit a naturally persistent super-hydrophilicity and this property can easily be photo-regenerated after a long aging period in ambient atmosphere. Static and dynamic oil wettability experiments have been performed to assess the enhanced cleanability of such super-hydrophilic surfaces. This study shows how a suitable composite sol formulation enables the formation of films whose performances have practically no limitation on the long term, which allows envisaging applications for surfaces with enhanced cleanability in atmospheres where UV light cannot permanently be present.