Scalable-Manufactured Anticorrosion and Wear-Resistant Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted considerable attention because of their unique characteristics for widespread applications such as self-cleaning, de-icing, anti-fouling and drag reduction. However, previous research has failed to attain the required mechanical and chemical robustness simultaneously on a superhydrophobic surface, which has significantly limited its application in complex and practical scenarios. In this work, we have designed and fabricated a mechanically and chemically robust superhydrophobic surface with a high water contact angle of 160.1° and a low sliding angle of 2.7°. We achieved this through laser ablation to obtain micro-structured stainless steel frames, followed by filling nano-scale fluoropolymer internal coatings. Here the stainless steel protective frames have significantly enhanced mechanical durability of the surface and the fluoropolymer coatings have improved chemical corrosion resistance due to intrinsic chemical inertness. Thus, the synergetic effect of mechanical protective structures and chemical inertness allows the superhydrophobic surface to maintain superhydrophobicity even after sandpaper abrasion and chemical immersion. In addition, our superhydrophobic surface has exhibited potential for outdoor applications after performing well for 30-day tests under UV and thermal exposure, salt spray, and seawater immersion. We envision that such superhydrophobic surfaces with their superior mechanical robustness, chemical corrosion resistance, and scalable manufacturability are capable of expanding their operational lifespan in real-world applications.