Abstract
The search for surfaces with non-wetting behavior towards water and low-surface tension liquids affects a wide range of industries. Surface wetting is regulated by morphological and chemical features interacting with liquid phases under different ambient conditions. Most of the approaches to the fabrication of liquid-repellent surfaces are inspired by living organisms and require the fabrication of hierarchically organized structures, coupled with low surface energy chemical composition. This paper deals with the design of amphiphobic metals (AM) and alloys by deposition of nano-oxides suspensions in alcoholic or aqueous media, coupled with perfluorinated compounds and optional infused lubricant liquids resulting in, respectively, solid–liquid–air and solid–liquid–liquid working interfaces. Nanostructured organic/inorganic hybrid coatings with contact angles against water above 170°, contact angle with n-hexadecane (surface tension γ = 27 mN/m at 20 °C) in the 140–150° range and contact angle hysteresis lower than 5° have been produced. A full characterization of surface chemistry has been undertaken by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, while field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) observations allowed the estimation of coatings thicknesses (300–400 nm) and their morphological features. The durability of fabricated amphiphobic surfaces was also assessed with a wide range of tests that showed their remarkable resistance to chemically aggressive environments, mechanical stresses and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Moreover, this work analyzes the behavior of amphiphobic surfaces in terms of anti-soiling, snow-repellent and friction-reduction properties—all originated from their non-wetting behavior. The achieved results make AM materials viable solutions to be applied in different sectors answering several and pressing technical needs.
Highlights
Nowadays, repellence to liquids and/or fluids is considered a key aspect of materials engineering.The coexistence on the same material of superhydrophobicity together with oleophobicity, termed amphiphobicity, significantly improves its ability to answer relevant industrial needs, for which the repellence against liquids and/or fluids in a wide range of surface tension could introduce innovation at different levels.The analysis of the current state of the art suggests that surfaces with a reduced wettability can be generated by many routes combining different approaches and strategies [1,2,3,4,5]
This work reveals the efficiency of different thin coating technologies
Features concerning the resistance of coated alloy in different environmental conditions come out as the most important result, matching some of the basic requirements related to the utilization of functional surfaces in many industrial fields and and in the central area
Summary
Repellence to liquids and/or fluids is considered a key aspect of materials engineering. Depending on the materials typology, they include electrospinning [6], layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition [4], anodization [7], electrochemical approaches [8], and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [9]. Hindrances to their practical application still exist, mainly concerning the plethora of processing steps and the affordability of procedures and equipment. Results suggest that the nanostructured hybrid coating deposited on metals and alloys present a greatly reduced wetting against water and oils/lubricants that, together with the good durability, make them suitable candidates for industrial applications
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