Tree root-inspired robust superhydrophobic coatings with high permeation for porous structures

作者:Zhang, Guoliang; Xie, Qingyi; Chi, Jinfeng; Chen, Yuxian; Zheng, Hao; Ma, Chunfeng*; Zhang, Guangzhao
来源:iScience, 2021, 24(9): 103197.
DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2021.103197

摘要

Superhydrophobic coatings have tremendous potential for protecting porous structures from corrosion. However, the weak adhesion and poor abrasion resistance have long been challenges for their real-life applications. Inspired by tree roots, we prepared a robust superhydrophobic coating by spraying fluorinated nanodiamonds (FNDs) on a permeable epoxy coating. The epoxy can not only coat the surface but also permeate deeply inside a porous substrate and consolidate in situ as tree roots in soil. Thus, the structure is thoroughly reinforced where the pull-off strength reaches 9.4 MPa for concrete. On the other hand, the surface is covered with immobilized FNDs, forming a superhydrophobic surface. Thanks to the ultra-hard FNDs, the coating surface has high abrasion resistance and its superhydrophobicity holds even after 100 abrasion cycles. Moreover, it exhibits self-cleaning, anti-icing, and anticorrosion performance. It is promising in protecting various porous structures such as concrete, wood, and untreated corroded steel.