title: Light-Controlled ZrO2Surface Hydrophilicity.
abstract: In recent years many works are aimed at finding a method of controllable switching between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of a surface. The hydrophilic surface state is generally determined by its energy. Change in the surface energy can be realized in several different ways. Here we report the ability to control the surface wettability of zirconium dioxide nano-coatings by changing the composition of actinic light. Such unique photoinduced hydrophilic behavior of ZrO2surface is ascribed to the formation of different active surface states under photoexcitation in intrinsic and extrinsic ZrO2absorption regions. The sequential effect of different actinic lights on the surface hydrophilicity of zirconia is found to be repeatable and reversibly switchable from a highly hydrophilic state to a more hydrophobic state. The observed light-controllable reversible and reproducible switching of hydrophilicity opens new possible ways for the application of ZrO2based materials.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials", Saint-Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya str. 1, Peterhof, Saint-Petersburg, 198504 Russia.
authors.forename: Aida V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Rudakova
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials", Saint-Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya str. 1, Peterhof, Saint-Petersburg, 198504 Russia.
authors.forename: Maria V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Maevskaya
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials", Saint-Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya str. 1, Peterhof, Saint-Petersburg, 198504 Russia.
authors.forename: Alexei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Emeline
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials", Saint-Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya str. 1, Peterhof, Saint-Petersburg, 198504 Russia.
authors.forename: Detlef W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bahnemann