Transparent, fluorine-free, heat-resistant, water repellent coating by infusing slippery silicone oil on polysiloxane nanofilament layers prepared by gas phase reaction of n-propyltrichlorosilane and methyltrichlorosilane

Abstract

The subject of slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have attracted many researchers due to their excellent liquid repellent properties and widespread usage in many fields such as anti-wetting, anti-icing, omniphobic, self-cleaning and anti-biofouling surfaces. Choosing an environmentally friendly, durable lubricant and easy-clean preparation method is very important when designing SLIPS. In this work, fluorine-free, transparent, water and oil repellent slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) were successfully obtained via infusing silicone oil, which is a fluorine free and durable liquid, onto superhydrophobic polysiloxane nanofilament surfaces. Polysiloxane nanofilaments were prepared on activated glass slides by an easy, clean and environmentally friendly gas phase reactions of n-propyltrichlorosilane (n-PTCS) for the first time and also methyltrichlorosilane (MTCS) and the results were compared. Advancing contact angles of the n-PTCS based polysiloxane nanofilament layers were between 143 and 172° and contact angle hysteresis as low as 7° was obtained on these surfaces by altering the relative humidity and reaction time during filament growth. Then, transparent SLIPS were obtained by infusing silicone oil into polysiloxane filament layers of MTCS and n-PTCS. The obtained SLIPS shows excellent liquid repellency, very low contact angle hysteresis for long durations and maintains its water repellency after heating up to 80 °C for 6 days and also after exposure to continuous water droplet flow up to 2 h.