Rational fabrication of high-durability superhydrophobic coatings based on the excellent compatibility between nanoparticles and polymers

Abstract

Superhydrophobic coatings arouse much attention for their extensive potential applications from industry to our daily life. The introduction of nanoparticles into polymer matrix is one of the main methods to construct superhydrophobic coatings. However, the fabrication and practical application of super-antiwetting coatings are frequently hindered, owing to the incompatibility between inorganic nanoparticles and organic polymer matrix. Herein, we develop a durable coating that tackles the compatibility problem of inorganic and organic phases, formulating with hyperbranched polysiloxane modified silica nanoparticles and silicon-based acrylic polymers. The as-prepared coatings exhibit excellent superhydrophobicity with CA beyond 158° and SA below 4°. They are capable of retaining superhydrophobicity after exposing to harsh conditions including immersion in acid-base solutions for 12 days, boiling water for 3 h and high temperature of 150 °C for 24 h, as well as experiencing various mechanical damage such as 100 cycles of sandpaper abrasion, 40 cycles of tape peeling and 200 g sand impact. Furthermore, the coating can be further applied to anti-insect blood adhesion under dynamic conditions, self-cleaning of pollutants in life and substrate surfaces with diverse properties. The preparation technology of superhydrophobic coatings has unique advantages in scalable productivity, less equipment requirements and mild process conditions, and also provides insights into the fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings with good compatibility of inorganic and organic materials.