Synthesis of polymeric superhydrophobic coatings of nickel stearate for excellent corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, and photodegradation

Superhydrophobic coatings (SHCs) have been widely reported for various applications; however, the practical applications of SHCs have been restricted by recurrent preparation methods, complex equipment, and low mechanical robustness. The development of a simple, low-cost, and effective superhydrophobic coating remains a challenge. Here, we reported a simple way to fabricate the SHC by using fluoropolymeric suspension of nickel stearate nanoparticles (Ni-St-NPs) on the copper and other substrates. The surface of copper coated by SHC showed a static contact angle of 161 ± 1º and a sliding angle of 2º. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer were used to determine the surface morphology, elemental content, crystal structures, chemical bonding, and structure of the SHCs. The fluoropolymeric coating of Ni-St-NPs showed excellent anti-corrosion and self-cleaning with mechanical durability and stability. Photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes were done at 25 °C and obtained the degradation efficiency of 99 % and 98.1 %, respectively. The existence of self-cleaning, mechanical durability, and photocatalytic properties makes the fluoropolymer coating of nickel stearate a very promising superhydrophobic coating material for multifunctional applications.