Dual immobilization strategy for slippery surface to achieve durable anti-corrosion and excellent anti-icing

Abstract

Aluminum alloys always suffer from the deficient corrosion resistance and anti-icing property. Slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) inspired by “Nepenthes” have exhibited great potential in corrosion protection and anti-icing. However, the rapid depletion of the infused lubricants often results in the unsatisfactory long-term protective performances of SLIPS. In this study, a dual immobilization strategy was employed to fabricate a slippery surface with robust lubricant layer. The active lubricants were infused in the nanopores of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) and grafted on the surface of silanized phytic acid (PA) substrate support simultaneously. Due to the presence of infused and covalently grafted lubricants, the obtained slippery surface possessed excellent and durable water repellency and anticorrosion property. Throughout 21 days of immersion in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, the water sliding angle of the slippery surface was lower than 10° and the low frequency impedance of the slippery surface was higher than 2.0 × 106 Ω cm2. Moreover, the slippery surface also possesses self-healing capacities that can automatically seal the scratch and repair the protective performance within 24 h. Furthermore, the cooled water droplet can easily roll away from the slippery surface treated by low temperature freezing. The results suggest that the slippery surfaces prepared using dual immobilization strategy can effectively protect aluminum alloys from corrosion and icing. This study provides a novel insight into the design and construction of SLIPS with excellent durability, which can expand the applications of SLIPS in harsh environments.