A research team led by Binbin Zhang, professor in the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) (Qingdao, China), have developed an organic-inorganic hybrid superampiphobic coating with integrated liquid repellency, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-icing properties. A study based on these findings was recently published in theJournal of Materials Science & Technology.
Inspired by the lotus effect, biomimetic superhydrophobic materials with typical non-wetting properties at the interface have shown great potential in the field of corrosion protection. Although the anti-corrosion abilities of superhydrophobic materials has been confirmed by researchers, there are still many unresolved challenges in transitioning from the laboratory to practical applications.
According to IOCAS researchers, the coating they’ve developed exhibits both superhydrophobic and superoleophobic properties, and also shows excellent repellency to low-surface tension liquids such as water, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and peanut oil, with sliding angles all less than 7°.
The corrosion resistance of the coatings was extensively evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel polarization, salt-spray testing, and outdoor atmospheric exposure, respectively. The results showed that the charge transfer resistance and low-frequency modulus of the coating increased by seven-eight orders of magnitude, enduring 480 hours of neutral salt spray and 2,400 hours of atmospheric exposure, demonstrating significant long-term anti-corrosion potential.
In addition to significantly improved corrosion resistance, the coatings also demonstrated their functional integration capabilities in self-cleaning, delayed icing, lossless liquid transport, and substrate applicability.
The uniform dispersion of functionalized aluminum oxide (AI2O3) nanoparticles in the coatings provides important assurance for the ultimate realization of the coatings’ multifunctional integration properties.
“We firmly believe that the continuous improvement of functional integration and long-term stability will remain the focus of future research in this field,” says Zhang, first and corresponding author of the study.
This study was supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS.
Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences, english.cas.cn.