Preparation of inorganic-organic hybrid films containing particles using electrophoretic deposition method

The composite films of methylsiloxane inorganic-organic hybrid and MoS2 particles have successfully been fabricated by electrophoretic deposition of MoS2 particles in a mixed solution of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and inorganic-organic hybrid sol. The addition of 20 vol% hybrid sol into a MEK suspension increased the amount of MoS2 deposition twice as much as that of MoS2 deposition in MEK alone. The fraction of particles deposited on a substrate in MEK-20 vol% sol was estimated to be much larger than that in MEK. The hydrolyzed methyltriethoxysilane in a hybrid sol modified MoS2 particles, resulting in lower negative zeta potential, which reduces the repulsion force among particles and makes the incorporation of particles into a deposition film easier. The surface modification also enables the incorporation of particles into a deposit by the interaction of surface modifiers. These factors enhance the incorporation of MoS2 particles in electrophoretic deposition in MEK-sol.