Wettability Control between Oleophobic/Superhydrophilic and Superoleophilic/Superhydrophobic Characteristics on the Modified Surface Treated with Fluoroalkyl End-Capped Oligomers/Micro-Sized Polystyrene Particle Composites

Fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane-N,N-dimethylacrylamide cooligomer [RF-(CH2-CHSi(OMe)3)x-(CH2-CHC(=O)NMe2)y-RF;RF = CF(CF3)OC3F7: RF-(VM)x-(DMAA)y-RF] was synthesized by reaction of fluoroalkanoyl peroxide [RF-C(=O)O-O(O=)C-RF] with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VM) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA). The modified glass surface treated with the cooligomeric nanoparticles [RF-(VM-SiO3/2)x-(DMAA)y-RF] prepared under the sol-gel reaction of the cooligomer under alkaline conditions was found to exhibit an oleophobic/superhydrophilic property, although the corresponding fluorinated homooligomeric nanoparticles [RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF] afforded an oleophobic/hydrophobic property on the modified surface under similar conditions. RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF/RF-(VM-SiO3/2)x-(DMAA)y-RF/PSt (micro-sized polystyrene particles) composites, which were prepared by the sol-gel reactions of the corresponding homooligomer and cooligomer in the presence of PSt particle under alkaline conditions, provided an oleophobic/superhydrophilic property on the modified surface. However, it was demonstrated that the surface wettability on the modified surface treated with the RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF/RF-(VM-SiO3/2)x-(DMAA)y-RF/PSt composites changes dramatically from oleophobic/superhydrophilic to superoleophilic/superhydrophilic and superoleophilic/superhydrophobic characteristics, increasing with greater feed ratios (mg/mg) of the RF-(VM)n-RF homooligomer in homooligomer/cooligomer from 0 to 100 in the preparation of the composites. Such controlled surfac

Superhydrophobic Surface-Assisted Preparation of Microspheres and Supraparticles and Their Applications

Superhydrophobic surface(SHS) has been well developed, as SHS renders the property of minimizing the water/solid contact interface. Water droplets deposited onto SHS with contact angles exceeding 150°, allow them to retain spherical shapes, and the low adhesion of SHS facilitates easy droplet collection when tilting the substrate. These characteristics make SHS suitable for a wide range of applications. One particularly promising application is the fabrication of microsphere and supraparticle materials. SHS offers a distinct advantage as a universal platform capable of providing customized services for a variety of microspheres and supraparticles. In this review, an overview of the strategies for fabricating microspheres and supraparticles with the aid of SHS, including cross-linking process, polymer melting,and droplet template evaporation methods, is first presented. Then, the applications of microspheres and supraparticles formed onto SHS are discussed in detail, for example, fabricating photonic devices with controllable structures and tunable structural colors, acting as catalysts with emerging or synergetic properties, being integrated into the biomedical field to construct the devices with different medicinal purposes, being utilized for inducing protein crystallization and detecting trace amounts of analytes. Finally,the perspective on future developments involved with this research field is given, along with some obstacles and opportunities.

Robustα-Fe_(2)O_(3)/Epoxy Resin Superhydrophobic Coatings for Anti-icing Property

α-Fe_(2)O_(3)/epoxy resin composite superhydrophobic coating was prepared withα-Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoparticles and epoxy resin by spin coating method.The coating without epoxy resin has higher contact angle(CA)and lower ice adhesion strength(IAS),but the mechanical properties are poor.Theα-Fe_(2)O_(3)/epoxy resin composite superhydrophobic coating exhibits good mechanical durability.In addition,compared with the bare aluminum substrate,the Ecorr of the composite coating is positive and the Jcorr is lower.The inhibition efficiency of the composite coating is as high as 99.98%in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution.The difference in the microstructure caused by the two preparation methods leads to the changes in mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of composite superhydrophobic coating.

Robust,Flexible,and Superhydrophobic Fabrics for High-Efficiency and Ultrawide-Band Microwave Absorption

Microwave absorption(MA)materials are essential for protecting against harmful electromagnetic radiation.In this study,highly efficient and ultrawide-band microwave-absorbing fabrics with superhydrophobic surface features were developed using a facile dip-coating method involving in situ graphene oxide(GO)reduction,deposition of TiO_(2)nanoparticles,and subsequent coating of a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)and octadecylamine(ODA)on polyester fabrics.Owing to the presence of hierarchically structured surfaces and low-surface-energy materials,the resultant reduced GO(rGO)/TiO_(2)-ODA/PDMS-coated fabrics demonstrate superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 159°and sliding angle of 5°.Under the synergistic effects of conduction loss,interface polarization loss,and surface roughness topography,the optimized fabrics show excellent microwave absorbing performances with a minimum reflection loss(RL_(min))of47.4 dB and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth(EAB_(max))of 7.7 GHz at a small rGO loading of 6.9 wt%.In addition,the rGO/TiO_(2)-ODA/PDMS coating was robust,and the coated fabrics could withstand repeated washing,soiling,long-term ultraviolet irradiation,and chemical attacks without losing their superhydrophobicity and MA properties.Moreover,the coating imparts self-healing properties to the fabrics.This study provides a promising and effective route for the development of robust and flexible materials with microwave-absorbing properties.

Superhydrophobic Co/Fe sulfide nanoparticles and single-atoms doped carbon nanosheets composite air cathode for high-performance zinc-air batteries

Development of a high-performance bifunctional catalyst is essential for the actual implementation of zinc-air batteries in practical applications.Herein,a bifunctional cathode of Co_(3)S_(4)/FeS heterogeneous nanoparticles embedded in Co/Fe single-atom-loaded nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets is designed.Cobalt-iron sulfides and single atomic sites with Co-N_(4)/Fe-N_(4)configurations are confirmed to coexist on the carbon matrix by EXAFS spectroscopy.3D self-supported super-hydrophobic multiphase composite cathode provides abundant active sites and facilitates gas–liquid-solid three-phase interface reactions,resulting in excellent electrocatalytic activity and batteries performance,i.e.,an OER overpotential(η_(10))of 260 mV,a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.872 V for ORR,aΔE of 0.618 V,and a discharge power density of 170 mW cm^(−2),a specific capacity of 816.3 mAh g^(−1).DFT analysis shows multiphase coupling of sulfide heterojunction through single-atomic metal doped carbon nanosheets reduces offset on center of electronic density of states before and after oxygen adsorption,and spin density of adsorbed oxygen with same spin orientation,leading to weakened charge/spin interactions between adsorbed oxygen and substrate,and a lowered oxygen adsorption energy to accelerate OER/ORR.

Fabrication and anti-corrosion performance of superhydrophobic silane film on sintered NdFeB

An eco-friendly superhydrophobic protective film(DTMS/TEOS silane film)was fabricated on sintered NdFeB substrate through the utilization of electrochemically assisted deposition technology.The structure,properties,and film-forming mechanism of dodecyltrime-thoxysilane(DTMS)/tetraethoxysilane(TEOS)silane films were comprehensively analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).Based on the test results,it can be determined that this film has a superhydrophobic property with a hydrophobicity angle of 152°.This special property can be attributed to the long alkyl chains in the DTMS molecule,the rough morphology,and the low surface energy of the DTMS/TEOS silane film.The surface of sintered NdFeB is coated with a layered three-dimensional network silane film that forms through the condensation of silanol substances.This film provides excellent corrosion resistance to the sintered NdFeB substrate,reducing its corrosion current density to 2.02×10~(-6)A/cm~2.Moreover,the impact of film on the magnetic characteristics of sintered NdFeB was assessed and found to be minimal.

Superhydrophobic melamine sponge prepared by radiation-induced grafting technology for efficient oil-water separation

This paper presents a superhydrophobic melamine(ME)sponge(ME-g-PLMA)prepared via high-energy radiation-induced in situ covalent grafting of long-alkyl-chain dodecyl methacrylate(LMA)onto an ME sponge for efficient oil–water separation.The obtained ME-g-PLMA sponge had an excellent pore structure with superhydrophobic(water contact angle of 154°)and superoleophilic properties.It can absorb various types of oils up to 66–168 times its mass.The ME-g-PLMA sponge can continuously separate oil slicks in water by connecting a pump or separating oil underwater with a gravity-driven device.In addition,it maintained its highly hydrophobic properties even after long-term immersion in different corrosive solutions and repeated oil adsorption.The modified ME-g-PLMA sponge exhibited excellent separation properties and potential for oil spill cleanup.

Characterization of Flame Retardancy and Oil-Water Separation Capacity of Superhydrophobic Silylated Melamine Sponges

A silylated melamine sponge(SMS)was prepared by two simple steps,namely,immersion and dehydration of a melamine sponge coated with methyltrichlorosilane.The silylated structure of SMS was characterized by FT-IR(Fourier-transform infrared)spectroscopy,SEM(Scanning electron microscopy)and in terms of water contact angles.Its oil-water absorption and separation capacities were measured by FT-IR and UV-visible spectrophoto-metry.The experimental results have shown that oligomeric silanol covalently bonds by Si-N onto the surface of melamine sponge skeletons.SMS has shown superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle exceeding 150°±1°,a better separation efficiency with regard to diesel oil(by 99.31%(wt/wt%)in oil-water mixture and even up to 99.99%(wt/wt%)for diesel oil in its saturated aqueous solution.Moreover,SMS inherited the intrinsicflame retardancy of the melamine sponge.In general,SMS has shown superhydrophobicity,high porosity,excellent selectivity,remarkable recyclability,and better absorption capacity for various oils and organic solvents,and a high separation efficiency for oil in saturated aqueous solutions.

Construction of Renewable Superhydrophobic Surfaces via Thermally Induced Phase Separation and Mechanical Peeling

We report a simple preparation method of a renewable superhydrophobic surface by thermally induced phase separation （TIPS） and mechanical peeling. Porous polyvinylidene fluoride （PVDF） membranes with hierarchical structures were prepared by a TIPS process under different cooling conditions, which were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. After peeling off the top layer, rough structures with hundreds of nanometers to several microns were obtained. A digital microscopy determines that the surface roughness of peeled PVDF membranes is much higher than that of the original PVDF membrane, which is important to obtain the superhydrophobicity. Water contact angle and sliding angle measurements demonstrate that the peeled membrane surfaces display super- hydrophobicity with a high contact angle （152°） and a low sliding angle （7.2°）. Moreover, the superhydrophobicity can be easily recovered for many times by a simple mechanical peeling, identical to the original superhydrophobicity. This simple preparation method is low cost, and suitable for large-scale industrialization, which may offer more opportunities for practical applications.

Superhydrophobicity of Bionic Alumina Surfaces Fabricated by Hard Anodizing

Bionic alumina samples were fabricated on convex dome type aluminum alloy substrate using hard anodizing technique. The convex domes on the bionic sample were fabricated by compression molding under a compressive stress of 92.5 MPa. The water contact angles of the as-anodized bionic samples were measured using a contact angle meter （JC2000A） with the 3μL water drop at room temperature. The measurement of the wetting property showed that the water contact angle of the unmodi- fied as-anodized bionic alumina samples increases from 90° to 137° with the anodizing time. The increase in water contract angle with anodizing time arises from the gradual formation of hierarchical structure or composite structure. The structure is composed of the micro-scaled alumina columns and pores. The height of columns and the depth of pores depend on the ano- dizing time. The water contact angle increases significantly from 96° to 152° when the samples were modified with self-assembled monolayer of octadecanethiol （ODT）, showing a change in the wettability from hydrophobicity to su- per-hydrophobicity. This improvement in the wetting property chemical modification. is attributed to the decrease in the surface energy caused by the

Modeling Superhydrophobic Contact Angles and Wetting Transition

It is well known that surface roughness has a very important effect on superhydrophobicity.The Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter models,which correspond to the homogeneous and heterogeneous wetting respectively,are currently primary instructions for designing superhydrophobic surfaces.However,the particular drop shape that a drop exhibits might depend on how it is formed. A water drop can occupy multiple equilibrium states,which relate to different local minimal energy.In some cases,both equilibrium states can even co-exist on a same substrate.Thus the apparent contact angles may vary and have different values.We discuss how the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter equations determine the homogeneous and heterogeneous wetting theoretically. Contact angle analysis on hierarchical surface structure and contact angle hysteresis has been put specific attention.In particular, we study the energy barrier of transition from Cassie-Baxter state to Wenzel state,based on existing achievement by previous researchers,to determine the possibility of the transition and how it can be interpreted.It has been demonstrated that surface roughness and geometry will influence the energy required for a drop to get into equilibrium,no matter it is homogeneous or heterogeneous wetting.

Fabrication of corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic coating on magnesium alloy by one-step electrodeposition method

A one-step electrodeposition method was used to construct a superhydrophobic coating on the surface of magnesium alloy.Using magne-sium nitrate and ethanol solution of stearic acid as electrolyte,four groups of electrolytes with different ratios of stearic acid and magnesium nitrate were designed to explore the influence of electrolyte to the process.The contact angles of the four coating samples were 136.4±5.8°,152.7±2.8°,156.2±4.9°and 155.1±4.4°The addition of magnesium nitrate in the solution increased the hydrogen evolution reaction in the electrodeposition process,which was not conducive to electrodeposition process.During the deposition process,the sample prepared in a molar ratio of stearic acid to magnesium nitrate of 10:1 had the best corrosion resistance,and its corrosion circuit density was 3.74×10^(−8)A/cm^(2),far lower than the corrosion current density of the magnesium alloy substrate.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Micro Post Array on Aluminum Substrates Using Mask Electrochemical Machining

Surfaces with controllable micro structures are significant in fundamental development of superhydrophobicity. However,preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with array structures on metal substrates is not effective using existing methods. A new method was presented to fabricate super-hydrophobic post arrays on aluminum(Al) substrates using mask electrochemical machining and fluoridation. Electrochemical etching was first applied on Al plates with pre-prepared photoresist arrays to make the post array structures. Surface modification was subsequently applied to reduce the surface energy, followed by interaction with water to realize superhydrophobicity. Simulation and experimental verification were conducted to investigate how machining parameters affect the array structures. Analysis of the water contact angle was implemented to explore the relationship between wettability and micro structures.The results indicate that superhydrophobic surfaces with controllable post structures can be fabricated through this proposed method, producing surfaces with high water static contact angles.

Synthesis of Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surface through Electrochemical Deposition on Porous Alumina

The superhydrophobicity of plant leaves is a benefit of the hierarchical structures of their surfaces. These structures have been imitated in the creation of synthetic surfaces. In this paper, a novel process for fabrication of biomimetic hierarchical structures by electrochemical deposition of a metal on porous alumina is described. An aluminum specimen was anodically oxidized to obtain a porous alumina template, which was used as an electrode to fabricate a surface with micro structures through electrochemical deposition of a metal such as nickel and copper after the enlargement of pores. Astonishingly, a hier- archical structure with nanometer pillars and micrometer clusters was synthesized in the pores of the template. The nanometer pillars were determined by the nanometer pores. The lbrmation of micrometer clusters was related to the thin walls of the pores and the crystallization of the metal on a flat surface. From the as-prepared biomimetic surfaces, lotus-leaf-like superhydrophobic surfaces with nickel and copper deposition were achieved.

Recent Progress in Preparation of Superhydrophobic Surfaces: A Review

In nature, water-repellency (superhydrophobicity) is found, besides in plants, in insects and bird feathers. The booming field of biomimetics allows one to mimic nature to develop nanomaterials, nanodevices, and processes which offer desirable properties. Biomimetics means mimicking biology or nature. Inspired from nature, which reveals excellent superhydrophobicity, researchers have recently developed and implemented biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces in a variety of smart and simple ways. Superhydrophobicity is an effect where surface roughness and chemical composition combine to generate unusual water repellent surface, causing water to bounce and roll off the surface. This review article provides the overview of the recent progress (within the last four years) in the synthesis, characterization, theoretical modelling, and applications of superhydrophobic surfaces, with focus on the different techniques used and how they have developed over the years. At last, the difficulties related to implementation of superhydrophobic surfaces in day to day life are discussed. This review can find interesting for students, scientists and industrial companies working especially on superhydrophobic surfaces.

Preparation of Nano-SiO_2/Amino-modified Polysiloxane Hybrid Superhydrophobic Coating and Thermal-stability Characterization

We put forward a large-area and cost-effective method to fabricate superhydrophobic coating by introducing in-situ functionalized nano-SiO2 into side-amino modified hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane （SA-HTPDMS） curing system. With the characterization using water contact angle （WCA） tester, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, atomic force microscopy （AFM） and simultaneous thermal analysis, the as-prepared coating displayed a tremendous WCA of 154.8±1°, sliding angle （SA） about 3.5° and stable self-cleaning property range from -10 to 80 ℃. It was also found that the synergistic effect of surface micro-nano hierarchical structure and chemical hydrophobicity, stability from matrix had made contributions to the superhydrophobicity and excellent heat resistance up to 300 ℃.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Aluminum Alloy Via Electrodeposition of Copper Followed by Electrochemical Modification

Superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces have been prepared by means of electrodeposition of copper on aluminum surfaces, followed by electrochemical modification using stearic acid organic molecules. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) images show that the electrodeposited copper films follow "island growth mode" in the form of microdots and their number densities increase with the rise of the negative deposition potentials. At an electrodeposition potential of-0.2 V the number density of the copper microdots are found to be 4.5×104cm^(-2)that are increased to 2.9×105cm^(-2)at a potential of-0.8 V. Systematically, the distances between the microdots are found to be reduced from 26.6 μm to 11.03 μm with the increase of negative electrochemical potential from-0.2 V to-0.8 V. X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses have confirmed the formation of copper stearate on the stearic acid modified copper films. The roughness of the stearic acid modified electrodeposited copper films is found to increase with the increase in the density of the copper microdots. A critical copper deposition potential of-0.6 V in conjunction with the stearic acid modification provides a surface roughness of 6.2 μm with a water contact angle of 157?, resulting in superhydrophobic properties on the aluminum substrates.

Comparative Study of Structure and Property Changes in Corrosive Media for Self-cleaning Superhydrophobic Magnesium Alloys

Magnesium alloys with superhydrophobicity are constructed by controlling rough surface structure and grafting long hydrophobic alkyl chains. Changes of morphology, phase structure, chemical composition as well as wettability, corrosion resistance of superhydrophobic magnesium alloy upon immersing in corrosive media are investigated comparatively. Meanwhile, the contaminating particles on as-prepared superhydrophobic surfaces can be taken away easily by rolling water droplets. Therefore, the results show that as-prepared superhydrophobic magnesium alloys exhibit enhanced corrosion resistance and self-healing performance. Finally, anti-corrosion and self-cleaning mechanisms are deduced. It can be concluded that it is an effective strategy of preparing superhydrophobic surfaces for improving the corrosion resistance and selfcleaning performance of magnesium alloys.

Femtosecond laser micro/nano fabrication for bioinspired superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces

The preparation of superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic interface materials has become a research hotspot because of their wide application in self-cleaning, drag reduction, oil-water separation, anti-oil pollution and so on. The unique wettability of organisms gives inspiration to design and create new interface materials. This review focuses on the recent research progress of femtosecond laser micro/nano fabrication for bioinspired superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces. This review starts with a presentation of the related background including the advantages of femtosecond laser and wettability theoretical basis. Then, organisms with unique wettability in nature, the preparation of superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces by femtosecond lasers on different materials, and their related important applications are introduced. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects with regard to this field are provided.

Enhanced corrosion resistance of micro-arc oxidation coated magnesium alloy by superhydrophobic Mg-Al layered double hydroxide coating

To further enhance the corrosion resistance of the porous micro-arc oxidation(MAO) ceramic layers on AZ31 magnesium alloy, superhydrophobic Mg-Al layered double hydroxide(LDH) coating was fabricated on MAO-coated AZ31 alloy by using in-situ growth method followed by surface modification with stearic acid. The characteristics of different coatings were investigated by XRD, SEM and EDS. The effect of the hydrothermal treatment time on the formation of the LDH coatings was studied. The results demonstrated that the micro-pores and cracks of MAO coating were gradually sealed via in-situ growing LDH with prolonging hydrothermal treating time. Electrochemical measurement displayed that the lowest corrosion current density, the most positive corrosion potential and the highest impedance modulus were observed for superhydrophobic LDH/MAO coating compared with those of MAO coating and LDH/MAO coating. Immersion experiment proved that the superhydrophobic LDH/MAO coating with the active anti-corrosion capability significantly enhanced the long-term corrosion protection for MAO coated alloy.