A robust and multi-functional nanocomposites with “soft and hard” nanodomains against harsh environments

Abstract

Due to their exceptional anti-adsorption efficacy against a variety of contaminants, superhydrophobic materials have received extensive interest. However, the most of them continue to suffer from mechanical fragility and low chemical stability, which severely restrict their practical applicability. Here, hierarchical structure of polymer/inorganic (HSMP) nanocomposites (NCPs) with dual crosslinking and low surface energy are designed and prepared by ultraviolet-induced polymerization strategy. Owing to the existence of crosslinking structure reduces the deformation and swelling caused by the interaction between poly(dimethysiloxane) (PDMS) and organic solvents, while the strong adhesion to substrate. The hybrid NCPs exhibit excellent superhydrophobicity and mechanical durability after 630 cycles sandpaper scratch and 1000 cycles bending. In addition, the NCPs also possessed high chemical stability under various thermal/solvent environments. Meanwhile, with the excellent flexibility and their remarkable gap between water and oil wettability, the oil/water separation studies of HSMP NCPs demonstrated over 95% separation efficiency after 50 cycles. Crucially, the produced NCPs exhibited remarkable anti-fouling properties, making them difficult to pollute in exposure conditions, which is crucial for sustainable applications.