Invisible fingerprint coatings and process for forming same

1. A process for forming a fingerprint-resistant coating on a substrate, comprising:

a) activating the substrate by exposing the substrate to a plasma of at least one gas selected from the group consisting of inert gases, N 2 , O 2 , and a mixture of at least two of the foregoing gases; and

b) depositing on the activated substrate of step a) a solution for a hydrophobic coating comprising an alkyl silane and a hydroxyl-terminated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OH—POSS),

wherein the coating has a water contact angle between 70 and 85 and a diiodomethane contact angle less than 40 degrees.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating has a diiodomethane contact angle between 30 and 40 degrees.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solution for the hydrophobic coating in step b) comprises

a) an alkyl silane (AS) of the formula

H 3 C—(CH 2 ) n —Si(X) 3-p (R) p   (Formula 1);

wherein n is from 0 to 15,

p is 0, 1, or 2,

R is an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom,

X is a hydrolysable group, or

an alkylsilane (AS) of the formula (EtO) 3 Si(CH 2 ) 8 Cl;

b) a hydroxyl terminated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OH—POSS); and

c) either at least one aqueous acid or at least one aqueous base.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein in Formula 1, n is between 3 and 5.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein in Formula 1, p is either 0 or 1.

6. The process of claim 3 , wherein in Formula 1, p is 0.

7. The process of claim 3 , wherein in Formula 1, X is selected from the group consisting of a halide group and an alkoxy group.

8. The process of claim 3 , wherein the OH—POSS has the structure

wherein R is —(CH 2 ) n —OH, and

wherein n is an integer selected from a range of 1 to 5.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein n is 1.

10. The process of claim 3 , the OH—POSS structure is

wherein R is —(CH 2 ) 3 N(CH 2 CH 2 OH) 2 .

11. The process of claim 3 , the OH—POSS structure is

wherein R is —(CHOH) n CH 2 OH, where n is between 1 and 10.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the depositing step b) is carried out with a solution comprising either an aqueous acid or an aqueous base to assist nucleophilic reaction of alkyl silane (AS), wherein the acid is at least one material selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid, and wherein the base at least one material selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, and metal oxides.

14. A process for forming a fingerprint-resistant coating on a substrate, comprising:

depositing a solution for a hydrophobic coating comprising an alkyl silane and a hydroxyl-terminated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OH—POSS) onto a surface of a substrate to form a coated substrate;

wherein the coated substrate has a water contact angle between 70 and 85 degrees and a diiodomethane contact angle between 30 and 40 degrees.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the alkyl silane (AS) is of the formula (EtO) 3 Si(CH 2 ) 8 Cl.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises:

activating the surface of the substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to a plasma of at least one gas selected from the group consisting of inert gases, N 2 , O 2 , and a mixture of at least two of the foregoing gases.

17. The process of claim 14 , wherein the alkyl silane (AS) is of the formula 1:

H 3 C—(CH 2 ) n —Si(X) 3-p (R) p   (Formula 1);

wherein n is from 0 to 15,

p is 0, 1, or 2,

R is an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom,

X is a hydrolysable group.