Mechanically Induced Self-Healing Superhydrophobicity

The design of materials with self-healing hydrophobicity induced by stimuli such as temperature, humidity, and pH has raised considerable interest because of the high practical potential of such materials. Mechanically induced self-healing superhydrophobicity was realized by facilely coating textiles with polydopamine (PDA) nanocapsule-encapsulated hydrophobic agents such as octadecylamine (ODA) and octadecanethiol (ODT). The polydopamine nanocapsules with hydrophobic agents trapped inside endow the textiles with hydrophobicity and fast self-healing ability; once hydrophobicity is lost because of damage to surface chemistry, hydrophobic agents are released with multiple mechanical stimuli including stretching, compression, friction, and even mechanical washing. Compared with stimuli including temperature, humidity, and pH, mechanical stimuli are easy to apply and more compatible with daily life, making the present hydrophobic textiles with rapid self-healing performance promising materials for practical and technological applications.