Lubricant-grafted omniphobic surfaces with anti-biofouling and drag-reduction performances constructed by reactive organic–inorganic hybrid microspheres

Abstract

Recently, slippery liquid-infused surfaces (SLIPSs) have been demonstrated for widespread applications due to their excellent omniphobic properties. However, the complex construction process and the instability of the lubricant layer of SLIPSs constrain its practical applications. Herein, self-adhesive organic–inorganic hybrid microspheres (Poly@V-SiO2) with controlled particle sizes and adjusted chemical constituents were prepared via the sol–gel method and radical polymerization processes. The obtained Poly@V-SiO2 microspheres showed superhydrophobicity without post-modification. Moreover, the Poly@V-SiO2 with epoxy groups could self-assembled on the hydroxylated substrates via the epoxy-hydroxyl ring-opening reaction. Furthermore, the lubricant-grafted slippery surface (LGSS) was obtained by the reaction of the remaining epoxy groups of Poly@V-SiO2 and the amino terminated polydimethylsiloxane. The LGSS exhibited outstanding liquid repellency to water and organic solvents and demonstrated excellent anti-biofouling properties. Besides, the LGSS performed sailing velocity boost by nearly 1.8 times in both water and blended oil with drag reduction rates of almost 80%. More importantly, the covalently-grafted lubricant oil demonstrated excellent long-term stability under extreme operating conditions such as high/low temperature, ultraviolet irradiation, high-speed shear, and water impact. Therefore, the robust anti-fouling LGSS can be considered a promising material in daily life and industrial applications.