Fabrication of coral-reef structured nano silica for self-cleaning and super-hydrophobic textile applications

Abstract

Non wettable surfaces have attracted attention for their promising potential in anti-fouling and self-cleaning applications. However, the complex fabrication and loss of super-hydrophobicity because of poor durability have restricted their commercial applications. To address these issues, a robust super-hydrophobic surface was fabricated through construction of a coral-reef like fibrous structure, followed by adhesive-assisted dip coating. Wrinkled fibrous nano silica (WFNS) was synthesized using the Winsor III system. WFNS having hierarchal surface and enhanced surface area was modified by salinizing agent and by coated on various substrates. This fibrous structure aids to minimize the water/solid interface resulted to achieve the super-hydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 167°. To impart mechanical and chemical robustness, an adhesive-assisted approach was used. The as-prepared surface maintained a remarkable super-hydrophobicity even after mechanical and chemical stresses. The prepared super-hydrophobic surface illustrated excellent anti-fouling performance against corrosive liquids and an antimycotic property. The combination of liquid repellency and exceptional robustness exhibited indicates the WFNS as a promising candidate for super-hydrophobic and self-cleaning applications.