Ice-template triggered roughness: A facile method to prepare robust superhydrophobic surface with versatile performance

Abstract

Enhancing roughness on low-energy surface is an effective strategy to construct superhydrophobic surface. And a robust superhydrophobic surface demands roughness on the microscopic scale, which is congenitally frangible and readily destroyed by an external force. It naturally stimulates us to explore a new type of intrinsic poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) superhydrophobic surface with simple strategy. Here we use ice-template induced roughing method combined with water induced phase inversion technology (WIPIT) was proposed to construct superhydrophobic poly (vinylidene fluoride) surface (PVDF-20). The obtained PVDF-20 exhibited a stable Cassie–Baxter state under harsh environment, such as the impact of a jet of water, touched by finger, adhered by tapes or fracture by external force, and so on. The PVDF-20 also showed remarkable wear-resistant ability after abrasion on sandpaper. More impressively, the PVDF-20 exhibits high tolerance to extremely acid or alkaline solutions and it also demonstrates excellent absorption capacity for oils or organics. This type of stable robust superhydrophobic surfaces prepared by such simple ice template strategy is promising to meeting the demand for harsh condition, and it has potential applications in the preparation of superhydrophobic coatings.