Contaminant-sequestering coatings and methods of using the same

A method of functionalizing a substrate surface with contaminant-sequestering functionalities, the method comprising:

• (A) covering an inorganic substrate with a liquid composition, the liquid composition comprising (i) a flowable carrier medium;
• and (ii) a plurality of hydrolyzable silane compounds including a plurality of thiol-functional silane compounds and a plurality of fluorinated silane compounds;
• wherein the plurality of fluorinated silane compounds comprises (a) a hydrophilic polar head region, wherein the polar head region comprises one or multiple units of ethylene glycol (EG) functionality, (b) a fluorine-containing region, and (c) an anchor region including a silicon atom;
• and
• (B) hydrolyzing the plurality of hydrolyzable silane compounds to form a plurality of hydrolyzed silane compounds and allowing the hydrolyzed silane compounds to condense with each other to form a contaminant-sequestering coating bonded onto the inorganic substrate;
• wherein the contaminant-sequestering coating comprises a network of the hydrolyzed silane compounds.

A device comprising:

• an inorganic substrate;
• and
• a contaminant-sequestering coating bonded to at least a portion of the inorganic substrate,
• wherein the contaminant-sequestering coating in a dry and/or solid state comprises a network of hydrolyzed silane compounds including (i) a plurality of fluorinated functionalities, and (ii) a plurality of thiol functional groups, and
• wherein the network of hydrolyzed silane compounds includes a fluorinated silane comprising (a) a hydrophilic polar head region, wherein the polar head region comprises one or multiple units of ethylene glycol (EG) functionality, (b) a fluorine-containing region, and (c) an anchor region including a silicon atom.

A method of removing contaminants from a contaminant-containing liquid, the method comprising:

• flowing the contaminant-containing liquid across or through a device, the device comprising:
• an inorganic substrate;
• and
• a contaminant-sequestering coating bonded to at least a portion of the inorganic substrate,
• wherein the contaminant-sequestering coating in a dry and/or solid state comprises a network of hydrolyzed silane compounds including (i) a plurality of fluorinated functionalities, and (ii) a plurality of thiol functional groups, and
• wherein the network of hydrolyzed silane compounds includes a fluorinated silane comprising (a) a hydrophilic polar head region, wherein the polar head region comprises one or multiple units of ethylene glycol (EG) functionality, (b) a fluorine-containing region, and (c) an anchor region including a silicon atom;
• and
• contacting the contaminant-containing liquid with the contaminant-sequestering coating.