Low Surface Energy Research Articles

A facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic cotton fabrics finished using water-proof and antibacterial agent

Superhydrophobic emulsions (SHEs) based on fatty acids (stearic, palmitic, myristic and lauric acids)-melamine (FAMEs) was synthesized without emulsifier and applied on cotton fabric. The superhydrophobic compounds (FAME1, FAME2, FAME3 and FAME4) were successfully prepared on the basis of the reaction between fatty acid anhydrides and melamine. The chemical structures of the prepared FAME compounds were investigated using FTIR,1HNMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The cotton fabric samples were treated with the prepared emulsions using different concentrations in the range of 20 – 60 g/L. Hydrostatic pressure, water contact angle (WCA) and water permeability tests were performed on the treated samples. It was shown that super hydrophobicity of the fabric treated with stearic acid-melamine emulsion (60 g/L) recorded the best results due to the combined effect of surface roughness imparted by melamine and the low surface energy of stearic acid. Furthermore, antibacterial agent Biochrol WS1 in concentrations (2 and 8%) was simultaneously applied to the treated samples. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to estimate the biological activity of the treated cotton. Two strains of bacteria: Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis - Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli-Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were used for this purpose. The tensile strength of treated samples was measured as well. The results showed that the antibacterial and water-proof fabrics can be achieved by applying selected material without significant changes on their comfort properties.

Fouling Reduction and Thermal Efficiency Enhancement in Membrane Distillation Using a Bilayer-Fluorinated Alkyl Silane-Carbon Nanotube Membrane.

In this study, we report the robust hydrophobicity, lower fouling propensity, and high thermal efficiency of the 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FAS)-coated, carbon nanotube-immobilized membrane (CNIM) when applied to desalination via membrane distillation. Referred to as FAS-CNIM, the membrane was developed through a process that combined the drop-casting of nanotubes flowed by a dip coating of the FAS layer. The membranes were tested for porosity, surface morphology, thermal stability, contact angle, and flux. The static contact angle of the FAS-CNIM was 153 ± 1°, and the modified membrane showed enhancement in water flux by 18% compared to the base PTFE membrane. The flux was tested at different operating conditions and the fouling behavior was investigated under extreme conditions using a CaCO3 as well as a mixture of CaCO3 and CaSO4 solution. The FAS-CNIM showed significantly lower fouling than plain PTFE or the CNIM; the relative flux reduction was 34.4% and 37.6% lower than the control for the CaCO3 and CaCO3/CaSO4 mixed salt solution. The FAS-CNIM exhibited a notable decrease in specific energy consumption (SEC). Specifically, the SEC for the FAS-CNIM measured 311 kwh/m3 compared to 330.5 kwh/m3 for the CNIM and 354 kwh/m3 for PTFE using a mixture of CaCO3/CaSO4. This investigation underscores the significant contribution of the carbon nanotubes' (CNTs) intermediate layer in creating a durable superhydrophobic membrane, highlighting the potential of utilizing carbon nanotubes for tailored interface engineering to tackle fouling for salt mixtures. The innovative design of a superhydrophobic membrane has the potential to alleviate wetting issues resulting from low surface energy contaminants present in the feed of membrane distillation processes.

Fabrication of Biomimetic Hydrophobic Surfaces Using Phyto‐Polymers and their Bimetallic Au@Ag Nanoparticles

AbstractGreen phyto technology is a novel version, and the intersection of nanotechnology with nanobiotechnology gains much attention among global researchers owing to the vast range of industrial, environmental and medical applications. To synthesize bimetallic nano particles of Au@Ag, corresponding metal precursors were added to aqueous fruit latex extract of Artocarpus heterophyllus (AHL) & bark latex extract of Mimusops elengi (MEM) and exposed to sunlight. Hydrophobic surfaces are often designed to mimic low surface energy materials and hierarchical micro/nanostructures. In this study, hydrophobic surfaces on glass substrates were fabricated using a simple immersion process that was rapid, facile, and environmental friendly. Latex extracts, Au@Ag nanoparticles, stearic acid and methyltrichlorosilane were used in the coatings. The shape, heterogeneity, roughness and surface functionality of modified hydrophobic surfaces were investigated by FESEM, 3D profilometer and FT‐IR studies. The contact angle (CA) of modified surfaces was measured by Goniometer. The anti‐corrosive property of modified hydrophobic surfaces was tested. Recent micro/nanotechnological advancements have inspired artificial changes of surface wettability by bio‐mimic surfaces with efficient nanoparticles.

Mechanically robust superhydrophobic and oleophobic nanofiber membranes with breathability, solvent-resistance, and high-temperature-resistance

Protective materials that can ensure the safety of personnel and equipment in extreme environments have a wide range of application prospects, such as outdoor protective clothing, fire-fighting clothing, etc. However, designing such highly functional materials is still considered a long-standing challenge. Herein, the superhydrophobic and oleophobic fibrous membranes (SOFM) prepared by electrospinning, heat treatment and spraying techniques, endowing the fibrous membranes with good thermal stability, air permeability and outstanding repellence to liquids such as water, oil and low surface energy solvents. The developed SOFM exhibits integrated properties with ethanol intrusion pressure of 0.75 KPa, excellent air permeability of 1.54 mm/s, water vapor transmission rate of 7.99 kg·m−2·d-1, high thermal decomposition temperature of 330 ℃, tensile strength of 9.2 MPa. Therefore, SOFM can effectively protect people and equipment in extreme environments. This work may contribute to the design of fiber materials with higher protection levels in the field of protective clothing.

Micropattern Fabricated by Acropetal Migration Controlled through Sequential Photo and Thermal Polymerization.

Bottom-up patterning technology plays a significant role in both nature and synthetic materials, owing to its inherent advantages such as ease of implementation, spontaneity, and noncontact attributes, etc. However, constrained by the uncontrollability of molecular movement, energy interaction, and stress, obtained micropatterns tend to exhibit an inevitable arched outline, resulting in the limitation of applicability. Herein, inspired by auxin's action mode in apical dominance, a versatile strategy is proposed for fabricating precision self-organizing micropatterns with impressive height based on polymerization-induced acropetal migration. The copolymer containing fluorocarbon chains (low surface energy) and tertiary amine (coinitiator) is designed to self-assemble on the surface of the photo-curing system. The selective exposure under a photomask establishes a photocuring boundary and the radicals would be generated on the surface, which is pivotal in generating a vertical concentration difference of monomer. Subsequent heating treatment activates the material continuously transfers from the unexposed area to the exposed area and is accompanied by the obviously vertical upward mass transfer, resulting in the manufacture of a rectilinear profile micropattern. This strategy significantly broadens the applicability of self-organizing patterns, offering the potential to mitigate the complexity and time-consuming limitations associated with top-down methods.

Influence of the Surface Topography of Titanium Dental Implants on the Behavior of Human Amniotic Stem Cells.

The dental implant surface plays a crucial role in osseointegration. The topography and physicochemical properties will affect the cellular functions. In this research, four distinct titanium surfaces have been studied: machined acting (MACH), acid etched (AE), grit blasting (GBLAST), and a combination of grit blasting and subsequent acid etching (GBLAST + AE). Human amniotic mesenchymal (hAMSCs) and epithelial stem cells (hAECs) isolated from the amniotic membrane have attractive stem-cell properties. They were cultured on titanium surfaces to analyze their impact on biological behavior. The surface roughness, microhardness, wettability, and surface energy were analyzed using interferometric microscopy, Vickers indentation, and drop-sessile techniques. The GBLAST and GBLAST + AE surfaces showed higher roughness, reduced hydrophilicity, and lower surface energy with significant differences. Increased microhardness values for GBLAST and GBLAST + AE implants were attributed to surface compression. Cell viability was higher for hAMSCs, particularly on GBLAST and GBLAST + AE surfaces. Alkaline phosphatase activity enhanced in hAMSCs cultured on GBLAST and GBLAST + AE surfaces, while hAECs showed no mineralization signals. Osteogenic gene expression was upregulated in hAMSCs on GBLAST surfaces. Moreover, α2 and β1 integrin expression enhanced in hAMSCs, suggesting a surface-integrin interaction. Consequently, hAMSCs would tend toward osteoblastic differentiation on grit-blasted surfaces conducive to osseointegration, a phenomenon not observed in hAECs.

A Rapidly Self-Healing Superhydrophobic Coating Made of Polydimethylsiloxane and N-nonadecane: Stability and Self-Healing Capabilities

Superhydrophobic surfaces have garnered significant attention in various industrial applications, such as photovoltaic power generation, anti-icing, and corrosion resistance, due to their exceptional water-repellent properties. However, the poor durability of conventional superhydrophobic coatings has severely impeded their practical implementation. To achieve the dual self-recovery of microscale and nanoscale surface structures and maintain low surface energy after damage to superhydrophobic coatings, thereby enhancing their durability, a rapidly self-healing superhydrophobic coating was developed using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and n-nonadecane in this study. The coating surface demonstrated exceptional hydrophobic characteristics, as evidenced by a water contact angle (WCA) of 157.5° and a sliding angle (SA) of 4.2° achieved at optimized proportions. Through scanning electron microscopy, it was observed that the coating surface exhibited a rough structure at both the microscale and nanoscale. The stability test results showed that the WCA only decreases by 5.7° and the SA only increases by 3.6° after 100 instances of external friction. The stability test results demonstrated that the superhydrophobic coating maintains excellent hydrophobicity under mechanical external forces and in acidic and alkaline environments. The results of the self-healing capability test showed that the WCA rebounded to 151.5° and 149.5° after we subjected the samples to 20 MPa of vertical pressure damage and chloroform exposure for 4 h, respectively. The coating regained a robust hydrophobic state even after experiencing repeated mechanical and chemical damage. The above results indicate that the resulting coating demonstrates outstanding durability, including high resistance to friction, stability against acids and alkalis, and the ability to self-recover hydrophobicity after repeated damage.

Fabrication of Stable Liquid-like Wetting Buckled Surfaces as Bioinspired Antibiofouling Coatings by Using Silicon-Containing Block Copolymers.

Inspired by animals with a slippery epidermis, durable slippery antibiofouling coatings with liquid-like wetting buckled surfaces are successfully constructed in this study by combining dynamic-interfacial-release-induced buckling with self-assembled silicon-containing diblock copolymer (diBCP). The core diBCP material is polystyrene-block-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS). Because silicon-containing polymers with intrinsic characters of low surface energy, they easily flow over and cover a surface after it has undergone controlled thermal treatment, generating a slippery wetting layer on which can eliminate polar interactions with biomolecules. Additionally, microbuckled patterns result in curved surfaces, which offer fewer points at which organisms can attach to the surface. Different from traditional slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces, the proposed liquid-like PDMS wetting layer, chemically bonded with PS, is stable and slippery but does not flow away. PS-b-PDMS diBCPs with various PDMS volume fractions are studied to compare the influence of PDMS segment length on antibiofouling performance. The surface characteristics of the diBCPs─ease of processing, transparency, and antibiofouling, anti-icing, and self-cleaning abilities─are examined under various conditions. Being able to fabricate ecofriendly silicon-based lubricant layers without needing to use fluorinated compounds and costly material precursors is an advantage in industrial practice.

Improved thermomechanical and rheological properties of polypropylene composites with thermomechanical pulp for injection molding

AbstractMaterial extrusion and injection molding are prevalent in polymer processing, but wood fiber‐reinforced polymer composites offer eco‐friendly alternatives for industries like automotive, and aviation. Our study explores biocomposites using bleached chemi‐thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) and polypropylene (PP). BCTMP is rich in cellulose and hemicellulose and quite hydrophilic, while PP's hydrophobic structure creates a disconnect to creating a composite of the two. Traditional methods add costly coupling agents like maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) in an attempt to enhance the adhesion properties of wood‐plastic composites. However, it is worth noting that even in the presence of MAPP, PP maintains its high hydrophobicity and low surface energy, despite exhibiting considerable heterogeneity. Further complexity arises from the thermal degradation characteristics of BCTMP during the melting processing of PP. Our proposed method involves premixing via cryo and planetary ball milling. This boosts PP and BCTMP adhesion, enhancing dispersion quality and mechanical properties without needing coupling agents. Moreover, the premixing of BCTMP and PP forms a thermal buffer layer around BCTMP, minimizing its thermal degradation during processing. This process also ensures even distribution of BCTMP into PP, resulting in a 200% rise in Young's modulus with 30 wt% BCTMP without compromising ultimate tensile strength.Highlights Exploration of biocomposites using bleached chemi‐thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) and polypropylene (PP) thorough injection molding Implementation of premixing to enhance PP/BCTMP adhesion without coupling agents Premixing reduces thermal degradation of BCTMP, enhances dispersion, and improves mechanical properties Achieving a 200% increase in Young's modulus with 30% BCTMP incorporation, while maintaining ultimate tensile strength

Transparent Superhydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Coating.

Surface roughness and low surface energy are key elements for the artificial preparation of biomimetic superhydrophobic materials. However, the presence of micro-/nanostructures and the corresponding increase in roughness can increase light scattering, thereby reducing the surface transparency. Therefore, designing and constructing superhydrophobic surfaces that combine superhydrophobicity with high transparency has been a continuous research focus for researchers and engineers. In this study, a transparent superhydrophobic coating was constructed on glass substrates using hydrophobic fumed silica (HF-SiO2) and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) as raw materials, combined with a simple spray-coating technique, resulting in a water contact angle (WCA) of 158.7 ± 1.5° and a sliding angle (SA) of 6.2 ± 1.8°. Characterization tests including SEM, EDS, LSCM, FTIR, and XPS revealed the presence of micron-scale protrusions and a nano-scale porous network composite structure on the surface. The presence of HF-SiO2 not only provided a certain roughness but also effectively reduced surface energy. More importantly, the coating exhibited excellent water-repellent properties, extremely low interfacial adhesion, self-cleaning ability, and high transparency, with the light transmittance of the coated glass substrate reaching 96.1% of that of the bare glass substrate. The series of functional characteristics demonstrated by the transparent superhydrophobic HF-SiO2@WPU coating designed and constructed in this study will play an important role in various applications such as underwater observation windows, building glass facades, automotive glass, and goggles.

Formation mechanism and properties of superhydrophobic surface of ship plate steel

Superhydrophobic surface of ship plate steel was constructed by chemical etching and low surface energy modification. Formation mechanism and properties of the superhydrophobic surface were investigated through SEM, FT-IR, electrochemical analysis and anti-icing evaluation. Corrosion and dissolution of ferrite creates a high-roughness surface with a micro-nano composite structure, and a monomolecular layer of low surface energy material covers steel surface through chelation coordination of stearic acid and Fe, which endows ship plate steel surface with superhydrophobicity. Compared with bare steel, the superhydrophobic surface shows high corrosion resistance, while 75.2% of surface icing is prevented, achieving the purpose of anti-water, anti-icing and corrosion resistance of ship plate steel. In addtion, the simple and cost-effective preparation technique is conducive to large-scale industrial applications in the future.

Toward submicron inkjet-printed ZnO microdots with suppressed coffee-ring effect via controlled drying conditions for potential solar cell applications

The high-resolution, inkjet-printed zinc oxide (ZnO) microdot arrays with suppressed coffee-ring effect was demonstrated by investigating the correlation between drying and solidification processes. The internal microfluidic behavior of an ejected droplet and the associated drying process is geometry-dependent, which can be controlled by the temperature and surface energy of the substrate. During evaporation, droplets in contact with a wettable surface exhibit a dominant outward convective flow, resulting in a pronounced coffee-ring effect. In contrast, for droplets with minimal contact area on a substrate with low surface energy, the surface energy gradient along the relatively long thermal conducting path length reinforces the Marangoni flow, which retards the pinning of the contact line, resulting in tiny microdots with suppressed coffee-ring effect. The controlled ZnO microdots exhibit a diameter of approximately 3 μm with a thickness of 50 nm, which is one of the smallest microstructures produced by the inkjet printing method. Additionally, the integration of the ZnO microdot arrays into organic solar cells aimed to alter the light path length, leading to enhanced internal absorption. The P3HT:PCBM, PTB7-Th:PCBM, and PM6:Y6 devices with ZnO microdot arrays exhibit higher power conversion efficiencies of 3.54%, 9.04%, and 15.61% compared to reference devices of 3.38%, 8.85%, and 15.25% respectively.

Eco-friendly superhydrophobic sponges for efficient oil-water separation and resource recycling

Owing to the risk of oil spills in the water pollution and human health, it is urgent to exploit the efficient, simple and low-cost materials to treat oily wastewater. Inspired by the native super-wettability surface of lotus leaves, a green, multi-functionality, multi-response and recyclable superhydrophobic material has been established via an one-step dip-coating method based on waste polyurethane sponges (PU), which is expected to settle the treatment problem of oil/water mixture. And the coating system is mainly constituted by a mixture of silicon resin, nano-Fe3O4 and ultrafine expandable graphene (EG), which can act as lowing low surface energy and fabricating the hierarchical micro-/nano-scaled surface roughness. The water contact angle (WCA) of 156.2 ± 1.4° and water sliding angle (WSA) of 8.0 ± 0.5° have triggered a series of skills in water repellency, self-cleaning and anti-fouling. Most of all, the exceptional oil–water separation capabilities have been achieved that the sorption capacity, separation efficiency and flux for light oil can reach 33.2 g/g, 99.5 % and 31,611 L m-1h−1, respectively. Accorded with the intrinsic thermal harvesting ability of Fe3O4 and EG, the excellent photothermal conversion performance has been gained that the temperature of superhydrophobic sponges can reach 68.7 °C in 180 s when the irradiation intensity is 1.2 sunlight, endowing the potential sorption ability of high-viscosity crude oils. Most importantly, the various oil–water separation modes can be also realized that are composed of gravity-driven, magnetism-driven, vacuum-driven and photothermal-driven methods. Except that, the adequate flame retardancy, mechanical durability and chemical stability have been acquired that have raised the high-value-added utilization of modified sponges in fields of environment protection and functional materials.

Enhancing the scaling resistance of corrugated polyvinylidene fluoride hydrophobic membrane in membrane distillation: Impact of CF4 plasma modification, pulse flow, and negative pressure

Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging technology for brine concentration, but plagued by scaling/fouling/wetting in realistic applications. There has been tremendous progress in the mitigation of scaling via chemical modification to reduce the surface energy and hydraulic operation to change flow state in feed channel. But there still lacks an undisputed cognition yet which approach outperforms the others. To address this issue, this study comprehensively investigates the impact of state-of-the-art technologies on scaling mitigation based on a surface corrugated hydrophobic PVDF membrane with high flux and potential for mass production. The technology selected include CF4 plasma modification, pulse flow, and negative feed pressure from both thermodynamic and hydraulic perspectives. CF4 plasma modification resulted in a low surface energy superhydrophobic surface, but the scaling resistance of the membranes was not significantly improved. Pulse flow effectively mitigated scaling, yet the intrusion of calcium sulfate into the membrane matrix still occurred. Negative pressure at the feed channel created a stable air layer, leading to excellent stable vapor flux and distillation conductivity. The results indicated that the hydraulic operation using negative pressure at feed was an efficient approach for scaling mitigation. This study further elucidated the mechanism underlying the scaling resistance of superhydrophobic membranes and underscored the importance of hydraulic factors in enhancing the scaling resistance in MD.

Comparison of Inter-atomic Pair Potential Curves of different GEAM iterated values for Sr and Ir

In this study, the inter-atomic pair potential curve of Sr and Ir are compared with the potential curve of Rose et al. (1984) using the values predicted in our earlier study (The surface energy calculation for fcc metals with negative Cauchy’s discrepancy using the GEAM), utilizing an EAM model developed by Oni-Ojo et al. (2007) that ha demonstrated efficacy in predicting the low index surface energies of Sr and Ir, both of which have negative Cauchy’s discrepancy.

Maximizing the wetting resistance of fluorine-free omniphobic membranes for hypersaline wastewater desalination

Membrane distillation (MD) equipped with omniphobic (non-wetting) membranes has found a niche in water reclamation from hypersaline industrial wastewater. Here, we examined the efficacy of non-fluorinated materials as surface coating agents for omniphobic MD membrane fabrication, and identified necessary mechanisms to attain a maximized wetting resistance using fluorine-free materials. We first prepared MD membranes with different surface chemistries using a series of linear alkylsilanes and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as representative fluorine-free, low surface energy materials. Membranes modified with a longer chain alkylsilane exhibited a lower surface energy and demonstrated a greater wetting resistance in direct contact MD experiments using feedwaters of various surface tensions. Despite the nearly identical surface energy measured for the longest alkylsilane and PDMS, PDMS-modified membrane exhibited an extended antiwetting performance as compared to the membrane treated with the longest alkylsilane. To elucidate the source of the distinctive wetting resistance, we examined the nucleation and condensation kinetics on the surfaces with the different surface chemistries via environmental scanning electron microscopy. Our analysis suggests that the membranes treated with long chain alkylsilanes contain surface defects (i.e., hydrophilic regions) whereas the high mobility of the PDMS effectively minimizes the defect exposure, slowing down the condensation and subsequent surface wetting.

Theoretical study of the compatibility between environmentally friendly insulation gas CF3SO2F and silver, zinc, and zinc oxide materials in gas-insulated equipment

Exploring the gas-solid compatibility between insulating gas and solids materials used in electrical equipment is of great significance for determining the long-term behavior of insulating gas trifluoromethanesulonyl fluoride (CF3SO2F). The gas-solid compatibility of CF3SO2F and its decomposition products with Ag, Zn, and ZnO common surfaces has been assessed based on first-principles calculations, with SF6 as the control group. CF3SO2F has excellent gas-solid compatibility with the solid surfaces by analyzing the adsorption configurations, adsorption energies, charge transfer, adsorption height, density of states, and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) results. The external electric fields do not affect the excellent compatibility between CF3SO2F and the solid surfaces. Besides, the Ag(111) surface exhibits fine gas-solid compatibility with all decomposition products benefitting from its low surface energy. Originating in the existence of the three-center-four-electron (3c4e) π bond and F atoms with strong electronegativity in SO2F2, SO2F2 has poor compatibility with the Ag(110), (100), and Zn(001) surface. SO2, COF2, and HF gases may accelerate equipment failure due to the strong adsorption strength and poor compatibility with ZnO(100) and (110) surfaces. The results provide the theoretical guidance for the engineering application and long-term performance evaluation of CF3SO2F.

Facile spraying prepared superhydrophobic coating with self-cleaning, corrosion resistance, and increased buoyancy

The excellent mechanical properties and low-cost characteristics of carbon steel make it widely used in various facilities and equipment, but it is prone to corrosion, leading to performance degradation. Inspired by the superhydrophobic phenomenon in nature, in this paper, we used synthesized copper stearate (CuSA2) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with low surface energy properties to prepare superhydrophobic CuSA2/PDMS coatings on Q235 carbon steel substrates via a facile spray-coating method. The prepared superhydrophobic coating confirms micro-nano multi-level structures and low surface energy properties through wettability tests, surface morphology, and elemental analysis. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results showed that the low-frequency modulus and charge transfer resistance of the coated substrate increased by three orders of magnitude compared to the bare Q235 carbon steel. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of the fabricated coating was 99.91 %, demonstrating significantly enhanced corrosion protection capabilities. Furthermore, due to the unique interface non-wetting and liquid-repellent properties of the surface, the coating also exhibited excellent self-cleaning and buoyancy-increasing characteristics, expanding the application areas of such materials significantly.

Sculpturing metal nanoparticles by controlled massive deformation

Controlling the shape and orientation of metal nanoparticles constitutes fundamental strategies employed to tune their distinctive properties. However, singular high-energy surfaces are notably missing from nanoparticles fabricated using existing synthesis techniques. In this work, we fabricated supported (111)-oriented Pt nanoparticles that expose low-energy surfaces and subsequently reshaped them using a metal forming technique. We found that the orientations of deformed particles span a continuum encompassing (111), (110) and (112) and observed a linear dependence of this re-orientation on the plastic strain. We proposed a model describing particle rotation during deformation in terms of synergistic interplay between slip and diffusion.

Optimized electrophoretic zinc oxide coating on SS316L with enhanced hardness and scratch resistance

The major issues in electrophoretic deposition of ZnO coating on SS316L are lack of adhesive strength, control of electrophoretic mobility, and the presence of cracks in the coating. The novelty of the present study is mainly focused on optimizing the electrophoretic deposition parameters by varying the concentration of the ZnO NPs (1.0 g/L and 1.5 g/L) and the applied voltages (30 V and 40 V) to minimize these coating defects. The impact of nanoparticle concentrations and applied voltages on the morphology, roughness, phase composition, functional groups, hardness, surface energy, and scratch resistance of ZnO coatings was analyzed. Various deposition conditions produced different crystal sizes ranging from 16 to 24 nm. Among the deposition conditions, the ZnO-3 coating demonstrated an increased crystal size with decreased microstrain. However, a higher applied voltage of 40 V in the ZnO-3 coating significantly increased the electrophoretic mobility of the NPs, leading to the agglomeration of the NPs and the formation of larger crystals. Furthermore, morphological analysis confirmed uniform distribution and higher deposition rates in the ZnO-2 coating. The ZnO-2 coating deposited at a concentration of ZnO NPs (1.5 g/L) and a lower applied voltage (30 V), exhibited higher coating hardness (216 HV), lower surface roughness (0.207 µm), low surface energy, and better adhesive strength than the other three ZnO coatings. Thus, the optimized electrophoretic coating of ZnO-2 on SS316L emerged as a solution to reduce the cracks, improve the adhesion with better control over electrophoretic mobility.