Lubricating organohydrogel with ultrahigh durability and super-weatherability enabled by molecular chains aligned strategy for drag-reduction coating

• A lubricating organohydrogel with ultrahigh durability and super-weatherability was developed. • The aligned state-driven effects of silicone oil enable remarkable longevity and wear stability. • The unprecedented weather-fastness of lubricating organohydrogel was achieved. • Functional coating based on the organohydrogel demonstrates unprecedented drag-reduction and energy-saving performance. Lubricating hydrogel (LHO) is regarded as one of the promising candidate materials for protective coating desirable to provide drag-reduction and energy-saving functions. However, the state-of-the-art LHOs have poor durability in harsh conditions due to mechanical strength limitations and the absence of the weather resistance regime. Here we report a molecular chains aligned strategy driven by the methyl silicone oil submerging poly(oxy-1,4-butanediyl)(PEG)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix interior to significantly enhance the durability of lubricating organohydrogel while simultaneously making them tolerate harsh conditions. Via aligned state-driven effects, the methyl silicone oil could accelerate the aligned arrangement of the PEG-PDMS molecular chains via interface phase exclusiveness, which can greatly facilitate the mechanical toughness of lubricating organohydrogel, leading to the remarkable longevity and wear stability. Moreovre, the extraordinary weather-fastness of lubricating organohydrogel was achieved by combining the intrinsic constant feature (featuring a high boiling point and low freezing point) of methyl silicone oil and subzero temperature inhibition-freeze effect of hydrogen bonds. The lubricating organohydrogel shows high longevity and wear stability (over 18000 friction cycles), excellent drag-reduction performance (friction coefficient is as low as 0.08), and superior tolerated-extreme environment capacity (withstand -40° to 150°C temperature). As a drag-reduction coating, the lubricating organohydrogel demonstrates extraordinary wear-protection and anti-icing performance. These observations indicate fresh friction-reduction and energy-saving engineering materials.