Development of Thick Superhydrophilic TiO2–ZrO2 Transparent Coatings Realized through the Inclusion of Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Pluronic-F127

A thick coating of hierarchically porous double-templated TiO2–ZrO2–PMMA–PF127 with excellent self-cleaning properties and high transmittance has been developed for the first time on glass substrates using a simple dip-coating technique. Comparative studies of this sample with a thick and transparent coating of single-templated TiO2–ZrO2–PMMA have been performed to probe the origin of its exceptional properties. The formation of the composites, successful incorporation of the polymer into the matrix, and the porous nature of the films have been studied. The presence of Ti2+ in the double-templated samples has been confirmed, which suggest the chemisorption of water on the surface of the film. The variation in the self-cleaning properties of the samples on UV-illumination has also been studied. The double-templated film is found to possess the capability of good hydrophilic retention even 2 days after UV-irradiation.