Nature-inspired phytic acid-based hybrid complexes for fabricating green and transparent superhydrophobic and anti-mildew coating on bamboo surface

Bamboo is easily affected by moisture and mold, etc., causing performance deterioration, which limits the practice application. Phytic acid (PA) as abundant biomass resources, can form the polyelectrolyte complexes with cationic charged compounds, and also the coordination complexes with metal ions. In this work, the green and transparent superhydrophobic coating on bamboo surface was developed by deposition and assembly of PA-based hybrid complexes and subsequent hydrophobic treatment. The micro-/nano- hierarchical structure supported by hybrid complexes and the low energy component provided by octadecylamine both contributed to the excellent superhyophobic performance. The contact angle and sliding angle of the modified bamboo surface were 153.2° and 7.5°, respectively, and exhibited great environment and chemical durability. In addition, the superhydrophobic coating endowed bamboo with mildew resistant property. This work demonstrates the potential of PA-based hybrid complexes as constructing superhydrophobic coatings, and also provides an avenue for the fabrication of green and transparent superhydrophobic coatings on bio-based material surfaces.