Fabrication of a photothermal self-repairable antifouling coating for achieving enhanced superamphiphobic durability

In this study, we propose a durable superamphiphobic antifouling coating with photothermal self-repairing capability. The prepared coating comprises FS-61 fluorinated kaolin, the antibacterial agent CuS, the photothermal conversion agent polydopamine (PDA), and the adhesive polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS). The material exhibits exceptional thermal stability in thermogravimetric tests, demonstrating its ability to withstand temperatures of up to approximately 400 °C. Contact angle measurements confirm the high repellency of the coating towards oily and aqueous liquids with surface tensions as low as 27.5 mN/m, highlighting its remarkable superamphiphobic characteristics. Furthermore, the coating demonstrates robust durability in experiments simulating external environmental damage such as water scouring and tape peeling. After 24 hours of water scouring and 7 tape peelings, the contact angle of the coating with water and n-hexadecane remains above 150°. Photothermal experiments provide compelling evidence for the exceptional photothermal self-healing properties exhibited by this coating material. Additionally, it shows significant growth inhibition and anti-adhesive effects against both bacteria and fungi in antibacterial tests. Therefore, the FS-kaolin/CuS-PDA/PDMS coating demonstrates immense potential for various applications including building decoration, maintenance of oil and gas pipelines, as well as protection of ships and bridges.