Simple Spray Method Research Articles

Fluorinated Carbon Nanotube Superamphiphobic Coating for High-Efficiency and Long-Lasting Underwater Antibiofouling Surfaces.

Biofilm formation on the surface of materials has brought great troubles to various industries. Designing surfaces with long-lasting antibiofouling properties can help restrain primary bacterial and protein attachment and subsequent biofilm formation for a long time, which is also of great significance for industrial applications. In this work, we successfully prepared fluorinated carbon nanotubes through a one-step fluorination method using fluorosilane and fabricated a superamphiphobic coating using a simple spray method. This coating with ultralow surface free energy and stable micro/nano structures achieved highly efficient and long-term underwater antibiofouling properties. Tea, milk, BSA, and bacterial solution can bounce highly on this surface without wetting the surface in air. The long-term existence of the underwater air-bubble layer on the surface of the superamphiphobic coating was observed. Thus, this surface can effectively resist BSA and bacterial attachment (E. coli), and the efficiency, respectively, reaches 97.5 and 98.2%. Even if it is fully soaked in BSA and BS solution for 120 h, the whole surface is still able to repel water, BSA, and BS solution very well. In addition, the coating possessed excellent wear resistance, the CAs of BSA and BS solution just decreased slightly (higher than 158°), and the sliding angles increased slightly (lower than 4°) after 50 tape abrasion cycles. Therefore, this superamphiphobic coating may have promising applications for marine devices, biomedical materials, protective clothing, and chemical shielding.

Enhancement of Condensation Heat Transfer, Anti-Frosting and Water Harvesting by Hybrid Wettability Coating

Hydrophilic–hydrophobic hybrid wettability structures, inspired by desert beetles, have been widely designed to enhance the dewdrops’ migration under subcooled or/and high-humidity environment. However, it is still a challenge to regulate the graded distribution of the hydrophilic micro-regions for condensation applications. In this paper, we design a simple spray method to prepare the superamphiphilic–superamphiphobic hybrid wettability coatings by controlling the mass ratio (MR) of superamphiphobic SiO2 nano-powder and superamphiphilic gypsum micro-powder. We compare the macroscopical wettability, condensation heat transfer efficiency, frosting delayed time and water harvesting rate to demonstrate the unique advantage of hybrid wettability structures. The results show that the condensation heat transfer efficiency, frosting delayed time and water harvesting rate can be respectively promoted to about 131.50% [Formula: see text], 134.74% [Formula: see text] and 135.62% [Formula: see text], although their macroscopical wettability will gradually reduce with the MR increase. This work will provide substantial insights into the fabrication of efficient superhydrophilic–superhydrophobic hybrid wettability surfaces for condensation heat transfer, anti-frosting and water harvesting applications.

Superhydrophobic, mechanically durable coatings for controllable light and magnetism driven actuators

Although some groundbreaking work has proved the feasibility of non-contact Marangoni propulsion generated by combination of the superhydrophobicity and photothermal effect, there are still challenges including the strong interfacial adhesion, multifunctional structural design and superior durability. In this paper, a simple two-step spraying method is used to prepare superhydrophobic and multi-functional fluorinated acidified carbon nanotubes (F-ACNTs)/Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings. The introduction of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and F-ACNTs not merely improve the surface roughness but also endow the coating with the outstanding magnetic property and photothermal conversion performance. The PDMS can reduce the surface energy and also improve the interfacial adhesion between the nanofillers and the substrate (the filter paper). The superhydrophobicity can be maintained when the material experiences abrasion, near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation and acid treatment, exhibiting outstanding durability. The highly stable superhydrophobic coating introduces a thin layer of air to decrease the drag force between the filter paper and the water surface, and can be used for controlled self-propelled light-driven motion and magnetic-driven motion. The movement can be manipulated by adjusting the direction of the incident NIR light and magnetic field. In particular, the superhydrophobic and superoleophilic coating based actuators can be easily driven to the oil-contaminated area on the water surface by using a magnet for high efficiency oil removal. This work provides a simple and universal strategy for developing intelligent and multi-responsive actuators possessing promising applications in various fields such as environmental protection, micro-robots and biomedicine.

Tarkhineh as a new microencapsulation matrix improves the quality and sensory characteristics of probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 enriched potato chips

In the present study, probiotic potato chips containing a newly isolated probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 strain were produced by using a simple spraying method and then enhancing the stability, survival rate, and sensory characteristics of product during storage at 4 °C and 25 °C was examined for four months. Based on the results, Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 isolated from traditional Tarkhineh as a safe strain had high tolerance to low pH and high bile salt, anti-pathogenic activity, hydrophobicity, adhesion to human epithelial cells, auto- and co-aggregation, cholesterol assimilation and antibiotic susceptibility. Meanwhile, by micro-coating the probiotic cells in Tarkhineh formulations, elliptical to spherical shape (460–740 µm) probiotic drops were produced. The results revealed that potato chips produced with turmeric and plain Tarkhineh during storage at 4 °C, had excellent protection abilities for probiotic cells with about 4.52 and 3.46 log decreases in CFU/g respectively. On the other hand, probiotic potato chips, compared to non-probiotic and commercial potato chips, showed the criteria of probiotic products such as excellent quality and superior sensory characteristics. In summary, this study proved that probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 strain covered by Tarkhineh formulations as protective matrix has high potential to be used in the production of probiotic potato chips.

Improvement mechanism of NO photocatalytic degradation performance of self-cleaning synergistic photocatalytic coating under high humidity

Photocatalytic coating has been widely studied as a promising material to remove air pollutants. However, the effectiveness and long-term effect of photocatalysis in high relative humidity environment is still the main challenge in this field. In this study, a fluorinated WO3-TiO2 nanorods/SiO2 epoxy photocatalytic superamphiphobic coating (FTSE coating) was prepared using a simple spraying method. The micromorphology and chemical composition of FTSE coating was characterized by SEM, EDS, FT-IR, XPS and TGA techniques. The advanced contact angle and hysteresis angle test show that the FTSE coating had excellent superamphiphobicity. The mechanical abrasions, corrosion resistance and UV aging tests show that the FTSE coating exhibited reasonable durability. Besides, the NO degradation efficiency of hydrophilic and superamphiphobic coatings with contact angles of 20.19°, 87.74°, 162.93° and 164.47° was tested in different humidity environment. The results showed that the superamphiphobic coating exhibited more superior photocatalytic degradation efficiency (84.02%) than the hydrophilic coating (51.38%) at a high relative humidity (RH=98%). Finally, FTSE coating exhibited prominent photocatalytic stability and the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and self-cleaning. After 30 d outdoor weathering test, the NO degradation efficiency decreased by 13.07% and recovered to the original level after flushing. The improvement mechanism of NO degradation performance was proposed based on the characteristics of superamphiphobic surface.

Application of Tarkhineh Fermented Product to Produce Potato Chips With Strong Probiotic Properties, High Shelf-Life, and Desirable Sensory Characteristics.

The application of Tarkhineh texture to protect probiotics in potato chips has been investigated as the main goal in this paper. In this study, the probiotic assessments, morphological characteristics, sensory evaluation, and survival rates of the covered probiotic cells with Tarkhineh in potato chips during storage time were assessed. Based on results, T34 isolated from traditional Tarkhineh as a safe strain had a high tolerance to low pH and bile salt conditions, displayed acceptable anti-pathogenic activities, and also showed desirable antibiotic susceptibility. Two types of Tarkhineh formulations (plain Tarkhineh and turmeric Tarkhineh) were applied using a simple spraying method for covering T34 cells in potato chips. All formulations showed elliptical to spherical (480-770 μm) shape probiotic drops. Storage stability results revealed that T34 cells mixed with turmeric and plain Tarkhineh during 4 months of storage at 4°C displayed excellent protection abilities with about 3.70 and 2.85 log decreases in CFU/g respectively. Additionally, probiotic potato chips compared to non-probiotic and commercial potato chips, exhibited probiotic product criteria such as excellent quality and superior sensory properties during storage time. In conclusion, Tarkhineh showed high potential as a protective matrix for probiotic cells in potato chips.

Large-Scale Spraying Fabrication of Robust Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on Dual-Sized Silica Particles for Effective Antipollution and Strong Buoyancy.

With the rapid development of bionic science and manufacturing technology, superhydrophobic surfaces have received extensive attention and research. However, the cumbersome steps, high cost, fluorine pollution, and poor durability greatly restrict its commercial promotion and application. Here, a simple spraying method is used to construct wear-resistant superhydrophobic coatings on various substrates such as glass, filter paper, copper sheets, and polyethylene terephthalate films, using an integrated fluorine-free suspension consisting of silica micropowder, nanofumed silica, epoxy resin, and polydimethylsiloxane. The prepared superhydrophobic coating can withstand 75 sandpaper abrasion cycles and can still maintain good superhydrophobic performance after other physical tests (e.g., hand kneading and tape peeling after knife scraping). In addition, the coating is extremely water-repellent under harsh conditions such as strong UV irradiation and extreme chemical corrosive media. In the buoyancy test, the coated filter paper can bear 39 times its own gravity. This water-repellent interface also has the ability to self-clean in air and oil environments due to its ultralow adhesion to water droplets. Thanks to its simplicity, cheapness, and environmental friendliness, this superhydrophobic coating has promising applications in the fields of construction, chemicals, transportation, and electronics.

Fabrication of TiO2/SiO2 superhydrophobic coating for efficient oil/water separation

As the increasing discharge of industrial oily wastewater posed a severe threat to the ecological environment and human health, various oil/water separation technology has been proposed all over the world. In recent years, superhydrophobic film for oil/water separation has gained much more attention. A simple method was explored in this paper to prepare superhydrophobic TiO2/SiO2 nanoparticle coating with varied particle size and ratio. Superhydrophobic metal mesh, sponge and loofah were fabricated by simple spraying method. The topological structure and surface wettability of the prepared coating was characterized by SEM, TEM as well as contact angle measurements. The nano-scale pore structure and the convex nano-nipple structure were observed on the surface of the coating, which supply the microstructure evidence to explain its superhydrophobic characteristics, water contact angle (WCA) ≥ 155° and oil contact angle (OCA) ≈ 0°. The oil/water separation efficiency of the superhydrophobic coating with different substrates was around 95% during a series of experimental investigation for varied oil/water mixtures. In addition, the separation efficiency can remain above 90% after 60 separation cycles, which indicated the better sustainability of the coating. The developed materials with their stable hydrophobicity, recyclability, durable oil resistance and water resistance displayed potential application for oil/water separation in industry and daily life.

Preparation of Janus membrane based on biomimetic polydopamine interface regulation and superhydrophobic attapulgite spraying for on-demand oil-water emulsion separation

Here, we report a Janus membrane constructed using a sustainable regenerated cellulose (RC) membrane as matrix, based on biomimetic polydopamine (PDA) interface regulation and superhydrophobic attapulgite (SOATP) spraying. The dual-action PDA was reasonably interfacially-regulated by high temperature-induced self-polymerization to construct a superhydrophilic surface with PDA layer/particle hierarchical structures, which strengthened the interfacial interactions between the organic RC substrate and inorganic SOATP. Subsequently, SOATP was sprayed on the bottom surface of membrane via a simple spraying method to obtain a superhydrophobic surface. The resulting RC@PDA/SOATP Janus membrane exhibited a superhydrophilic top surface and superhydrophobic bottom surface, with excellent separation efficiency (>99%) and acceptable permeation flux toward different types of emulsions. The membrane also showed good renewability, excellent environmental durability and structural stability. The facile and versatile interface regulation and spraying techniques, as well as the environmentally friendly and economical raw materials, were used, which makes the Janus membrane a promising solution for a range of applications in the field of oil-water separation.

Modified polystyrene spheres/graphene oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles as bactericidal material

This work describes the preparation of a composite material consisting of Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets impregnated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized by reduction in situ of adsorbed Ag+ by NaBH4 and over modified polystyrene spheres (PS). PS/GO-AgNPs water dispersion and its film deposited over a polymeric support were tested for their antibacterial activity. The PS/GO-AgNPs composite was characterized by UV–vis spectra, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results obtained by these techniques confirmed the formation of PS/GO composite, they also confirmed the attachment of AgNPs to the GO sheets. The antibacterial activity of this composite was evaluated in seven different bacteria. PS/GO-AgNPs composite performed efficiently in bringing down the count of Bacilus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Aeromonas hydrophila and Salmonella typhimurium from 106 cfu mL-1 to zero with 200 mg L-1 of PS/GO-AgNPs in water. Results from inhibition halo showed that films containing PS/GO-AgNPs have inhibited the growth of all microbial species in the same magnitude compared to GO-AgNPs. The water dispersed PS/GO-AgNPs composite enabled them to be easily deposited on surfaces, for example, walls or floors in contaminated environments present in hospitals, by a simple spray method to act as a biocidal material, avoiding the undesirable presence of nanoparticle materials (GO-AgNPs) suspended on air.

Nanoscale cobalt-oxide electrocatalyst for efficient oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline electrolyte

Advancement of the effective, stable, earth-rich, low-cost, and highly efficient electro-catalysts commonly demanded large-scale commercial applications toward the low-carbon economy. Here our group demonstrated the synthesis, characterization and electrochemical performance of highly effective and versatile cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4 NP’s) layered on fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) for efficient water splitting strategy. The synthesized Co3O4 NP’s were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Particle Size Analyzer, Zeta Potential, X-ray Diffraction, Ultraviolet–Visible Absorption Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The Co3O4 NP’s were deposited on FTO using inexpensive as well as leading electro-deposition method and by simple spray method. Hence, prepared Co3O4 electrocatalysts is found to be highly efficient for water oxidation without any pre-conditioning. This Co3O4 electrocatalyst, layered at FTO through electro-deposition method, is first used in Oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Electrochemically deposited Co3O4 NP’s at FTO proved itself a better electrode than simple spray-coated Co3O4 NP’s at FTO electrode and initiated the oxygen onset potential around 1.49 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) (ŋ = 260 mV). The observed Tafel slope was 53 mV dec−1 during the oxygen evolution reaction and the peak of the current density J/ 68 mA cm−2 was observed at 1.78 V versus RHE, which is novel for cobalt-based electrocatalyst system. The conclusions drawn were comparable with both the pricey state of the art IrO2 and RuO2 electrocatalyst systems. In the long term water electrolysis experiment, the electrocatalyst also offered durability and enduring stability. This innovative approach offers a simplest technique to prepare cost-effective and super effectual nanoscale electrocatalyst for water electrolysis.

Anti-counterfeiting application of fluorescent carbon dots derived from wasted coffee grounds

Anti-counterfeiting application have various challenges and issue of the luminescent materials which remain to be resolved, such as expensive cost, low synthetic yield and photo-bleaching effect. Since the carbon dots (CDs) derived from wasted organic materials exhibits cheap synthetic cost, noble photo-stability and high synthetic yield, CDs has been paid attention in the anti-counterfeiting field. Herein, we report the synthesis of the fluorescent carbon dots derived from wasted coffee ground and their anti-counterfeiting application. The CDs prepared by hydrothermal synthesis shows uniform morphology with lattice structure. Also, the prepared CDs shows a hydrophilic nature and blue emission under UV excitation. In order to apply a CDs in the anti-counterfeiting field, the resultant CDs ink was printed on various banknotes, by using a simple spray method. The anti-counterfeiting patterns exhibits a blue emission under UV excitation and excellent covertness under daylight with high resolution. These results indicate that the CDs derived from wasted coffee grounds can be applied as a promising luminescent materials in the anti-counterfeiting field.

Epoxy Functional Composites Based on Lanthanide Metal–Organic Frameworks for Luminescent Polymer Materials

The integration of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) into organic polymers represents a direct and effective strategy for developing innovative composite materials that combine the exceptional properties of MOFs with the robustness of organic polymers. However, the preparation of MOF@polymer hybrid composites requires an efficient dispersion and interaction of MOF particles with polymer matrices, which remains a significant challenge. In this work, a new simple and direct approach was applied for the development of Ln-MOF@polymer materials. A series of Ln-MOF@TGIC composites {Ln-MOF = [Ln(μ3-BTC)(H2O)6]n (Ln-BTC), where Ln = Eu, Tb, Eu0.05Tb0.95; H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid; TGIC = triglycidyl isocyanurate} were successfully obtained by applying a grinding method via the chemical bonding between uncoordinated carboxylate groups in Ln-BTC and epoxy groups in TGIC. The Ln-BTC@TGIC materials possess significant fluorescence characteristics with superior emission lifetimes and quantum yields if compared to parent Ln-MOFs. Interestingly, under the UV irradiation, a considerable color change from yellow in Eu0.05Tb0.95-BTC to red in Eu0.05Tb0.95-BTC@TGIC was observed. The energy-transfer mechanism was also rationalized by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The developed Ln-BTC@TGIC composites were further applied as functional fluorescent coatings for the fabrication, via a simple spraying method, of the flexible polyimide (PI) films, Ln-BTC@TGIC@PI. Thus, the present work unveils a new methodology and expands its applicability for the design and assembly of stable, multicomponent, and soft polymer materials with remarkable fluorescence properties.

Three-Dimensional Multilayer Vertical Filament Meshes for Enhancing Efficiency in Fog Water Harvesting.

Novel types of vertical filament mesh (VFM) fog harvesters, 3D VFM fog harvesters, and multilayer 3D VFM fog harvesters were developed by mimicking the water-harvesting nature of desert beetles and the spider silks from fog. Four different types of polymer filaments with different hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties were used. The polymer filaments were modified with the polyurethane–sodium alginate (PU–SA) mixture solution, and a simple spraying method was used to form alternating 3D PU–SA microbumps. Polymer VFMs exhibited a higher fog-harvesting efficiency than the vertical metal meshes. Moreover, the hydrophobic VFM was more efficient in fog harvesting than the hydrophilic VFM. Notably, the fog-harvesting efficiency of all VFMs increased by 30–80% after spraying with the mixed PU–SA solution to form a 3D geometric surface structure (3D PU–SA microbumps), which mimicked the desert beetle back surface. This modification caused the fog-harvesting efficiency of PTFE 3D VFM to be thrice higher than that of Fe VFM. This increase was attributed to the improved synergistic effects of fog capturing, droplet growing, and droplet shedding. The multilayer VFMs were more efficient in fog harvesting than the single-layer VFMs because of a larger droplet capture area. The fog-harvesting efficiency of two-layer and four-layer polymer VFMs was approximately 35% and about 45% higher than that of the single-layer polymer VFMs, respectively. The four-layer PTFE 3D VFM with the type B PU–SA bump surface (bump/PU–SA) had the highest efficiency of 287.6 mL/m2/h. Besides the high fog-harvesting efficiency, the proposed polymer VFMs are highly stable, cost-effective, rust-free, and easy to install in practical applications. These advantages are ascribed to the elasticity of the polymer filaments. This work provides new ideas and methods for developing high-performance fog harvesters such as the 3D VFM.

A Cost-Effective Method for Preparing Robust and Conductive Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on Asphalt.

The wide application of superhydrophobic materials is mainly hindered by the poor mechanical robustness and complicated preparation method. To overcome these problems, we tried to make a combination of hierarchical and self-similar structure by the means of a simple spraying method. By adding nanofiller (carbon nanotube) and microfiller (graphite powder and expanded graphite), the hierarchical structure was constructed. By further doping the fillers in the commercial asphalt uniformly, the self-similar structure was prepared. Based on the aforementioned work, the as-prepared sample could withstand the sandpaper abrasion for 12.00 m under 4.90 kPa. Moreover, this superhydrophobic coating demonstrated good conductivity, superior self-cleaning property, and excellent corrosion resistance. The integration of conductivity with the superhydrophobicity might open new avenues for ground grid applications.

Transparent Coating with TiO2 Nanorods for High-performance Photocatalytic Self-cleaning and Environmental Remediation

High-performance self-cleaning coatings are highly desired by the industry and market. Herein, we synthesized two kinds of ultrafine TiO2 nanocrystals, one is anatase dots with a diameter of 5 nm, and the other is rutile rods with 1.5 nm in width and 7 nm in length. The prepared TiO2 nanocrystal is highly dispersed and stable in water over a month. The coating can be fabricated via a simple spraying method, displaying excellent optical properties and photocatalytic performance on self-cleaning and surrounding environment remediation. The transmittance of glass remains 80%–90% for visible and near-infrared light after 30 cycles of spray. RhB solution(50 mg/L) was applied to the coating surface and form a solid RhB layer was formed, which can be completely removed in 30 min’s light irradiation. RhB aqueous solution(100 mL, 5 mg/L) was purified after 180 min by a 10 cm×10 cm glass, on which the coating was sprayed 30 times. The concentrations of formaldehyde and PM 2.5 in surrounding air displayed a significant decrease along 50 min’s monitoring. This high-performance coating shows great potential for constructing functional coating on various substrates for industrial applications.

Correction to: Studies on de-icing and anti-icing of carbon fiber-reinforced composites for aircraft surfaces using commercial multifunctional permanent superhydrophobic coatings

The accumulation of ice on structures can restrict the performance of equipment and cause other concerns in many industries such as aviation, automotive transportation, telecommunication, and defense. The removal of ice requires the use of some chemicals and various other techniques, which are expensive, time-consuming, and unsafe. Superhydrophobic (SH) coatings have been involved in many commercial applications because they have the crucial attribute of high water repellency, which can be critical for the removal of formed ice. This study experimentally proved how a carbon fiber-reinforced (CFR) composite surface can be prepared so that ice that forms on the surface can be easily removed without applying any other techniques. A simple spraying method was implemented to prepare a robust SH coating containing micro- and nanoparticles on unidirectional pre-impregnated (pre-preg) CFR composites that were prepared in a vacuum oven. The bottom (base) coat and top coat (superhydrophobic) were subsequently introduced to the surfaces of CFR composites, followed by heat treatment under a vacuum. The SH-coated CFR composites were analyzed through water contact angle (WCA) measurements. These measurements were also repeated after each tape adhesion test, vibration test, and blowing air test. The SH-coated CFR composites were exposed to a freezing time test and super-cooled water test, and then examined through an optical microscope. The SH-coated CFR composite had a maximum WCA of 163°. The coating tests on the SH-coated CFR composites showed that the WCA of the SH-coated CFR composite was steady and long-lasting after each test, which was considered as a permanent superhydrophobic surface. Thus, the de-icing and anti-icing properties of the SH-coated CFR composite were achieved, which is an important factor for a longer service time of composites used in aerospace, wind turbines, and other industries.

Development of Electrically Conductive Cellulose Nanofiber FilmComposited with Carbon Nanotubes Using a Spray Method

Nanocellulose is made from wood, cotton, cellulose-rich materials, and organisms by mechanical methods or chemical dissolution. Nanocellulosefilms are a flexible substrate with excellent thermal and chemical stability. These excellent properties are useful as electrodes for wearable type devices that replace plastic films. In addition, cellulose is both biodegradable and eco-friendly. Problem is that the cellulose film does not have electrical conductivity. In this study, a nanocelluloseconductive film made of composite carbon nanotubes was produced by a simple spray method. It was investigated whether this conductive film is useful as an electrode for electrochemical measurement.

Copper nanoparticle decorated non-woven polypropylene fabrics with durable superhydrophobicity and conductivity

In this study, a facile method was prepared to fabricate highly flexible, conductive and superhydrophobic polymer fabrics. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were decorated on polypropylene fabrics using a simple spraying method and superhydrophobicity was obtained after vacuum drying for 4 h without any surface modifier. Accumulation of CuNPs constituted coral-like rough micro-nano structures, forming a stable Cassie model and endowing the surface with dense charge transport pathways, thus resulting in excellent superhydrophobicity (water contact angle ∼159°, sliding angle ∼2.3°) and conductivity (sheet resistance ∼0.92 Ω sq−1). The fabrics displayed superior waterproof and self-cleaning properties, as well as great sustainability in the water. Additionally, the superhydrophobicity and conductivity can be almost maintained after heat treatment, wear testing, water droplet impinging, weak alkali/acid treatment and repeated bending-kneading tests. These superhydrophobic and conductive fabrics that are free from moisture and pollution can be a reliable candidate to solve the water-penetration issue in the rapid development of flexible electronics.

Superhydrophobic, stretchable and conductive elastomeric strip for human motion detection

Flexible electronics with superhydrophobic and stretchable properties have attracted considerable attention. Herein, a multiwalled carbon nanotubes covered polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-polystyrene (MWCNTs@SEBS) elastomeric strip was fabricated by a simple spraying method. The MWCNTs@SEBS strip possessed conductivity, stretchability of up to 500% and superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of 165°. Owing to high sensitivity, wide detection range and excellent repeatability, the MWCNTs@SEBS strip-based strain sensor was successfully applied for human motion detection even in wet and underwater environments. Our findings paved a new way to expand the application scenarios of wearable strain sensors.