Method

Abstract

A method for applying a zinc oxide coating to a substrate, comprising the steps of: (i) applying a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating to the substrate; (ii) contacting the nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating with an agent comprising palladium(II) and/or platinum(II), resulting in a coating comprising complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II); (iii) reducing the complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) in the coating to palladium(0) and/or platinum(0); and (iv) contacting the coating comprising complexed palladium(0) and/or platinum(0) with a zinc salt in the presence of a reducing agent under aqueous conditions to form a zinc oxide coating on the substrate.

1 . A method for applying a zinc oxide coating to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
 (i) applying a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating to the substrate;   (ii) contacting the nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating with an agent comprising palladium(II) and/or platinum(II), resulting in a coating comprising complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II);   (iii) reducing the complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) in the coating to palladium(O) and/or platinum(O); and   (iv) contacting the coating comprising complexed palladium(O) and/or platinum(O) with a zinc salt in the presence of a reducing agent under aqueous conditions to form a zinc oxide coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (i) of applying a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating to the substrate is performed by plasma deposition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein step (i) comprises subjecting the substrate to a plasma discharge of a monomer possessing aromatic heterocyclic nitrogen functionality. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent comprising palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) in step (ii) comprises a salt of palladium(II) and/or platinum(II). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the salt of palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) is a salt of palladium(II). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the salt of palladium(II) is palladium chloride. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reduction of the complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) to palladium(O) and/or platinum(O) in step (iii) occurs in the presence of dimethylaminoborane (DMAB). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the zinc salt in step (iv) is zinc nitrate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent in step (iv) is dimethylaminoborane (DMAB). 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A zinc oxide coating obtainable by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising a substrate and the zinc oxide coating of  claim 11  on the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . A method for applying a zinc oxide coating to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
 (i) applying a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating to the substrate by plasma deposition;   (ii) contacting the nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating with a salt of palladium(II) and/or a salt of platinum(II), resulting in a coating comprising complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II);   (iii) reducing the complexed palladium(II) and/or platinum(II) in the coating to palladium(O) and/or platinum(O); and   (iv) contacting the coating comprising complexed palladium(O) and/or platinum(O) with a zinc salt in the presence of a reducing agent under aqueous conditions to form a zinc oxide coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         15 . A method for applying a zinc oxide coating to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
 (i) applying a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating to the substrate by plasma deposition;   (ii) contacting the nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycle functionalised coating with a salt of platinum(II), resulting in a coating comprising complexed platinum(II);   (iii) reducing the complexed platinum(II) in the coating to palladium(O) and/or platinum(O); and   (iv) contacting the coating comprising complexed palladium(O) and/or platinum(O) with zinc nitrate in the presence of a reducing agent under aqueous conditions to form a zinc oxide coating on the substrate.