Biomimetic Slippery PDMS Film with Papillae-Like Microstructures for Antifogging and Self-Cleaning

Abstract

Transparent materials with antifogging and self-cleaning ability are of extreme significance for utilization in outdoor solar cell devices to alleviate the performance loss and maintenance costs. Herein, with inspiration from the anti-wetting surfaces in nature, regular papillae-like microstructure arrays (PMAs) inspired by lotus leaves were designed via a common UV lithography combined with a soft replication. Subsequently, the biomimetic slippery polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film (BSPF) inspired by the pitcher plant was fabricated successfully by infusing with hydrophobic liquid lubricant. The resultant surface has hydrophobic surface chemistry, a slippery interface, PMAs structure. The wettability, optical characteristic, antifogging property and self-cleaning ability of the PMAs-based BSPF were characterized experimentally. The film displays excellent optical transmittance, antireflection, antifogging, and self-cleaning properties, which is superior to the flat PDMS film (FPF). Remarkably, an average reflection of ∼11.3% in the FPF was reduced to ∼8.9% of the BSPF. In addition, after gradient spray test for 120 s, the antifogging efficiency was close to 100% for the BSPF surface in comparison with the flat PDMS film (FPF), biomimetic PDMS film (BPF) and flat slippery PDMS film (FSPF) (35%, 70% and 85%). Furthermore, we also discovered that the BSPF surface exhibited a better self-cleaning performance toward a variety of liquids than solid dust.