Superhydrophobic wood fabricated by epoxy/Cu2(OH)3Cl NPs/stearic acid with performance of desirable self-cleaning, anti-mold, dimensional stability, mechanical and chemical durability

Pinus wood (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv.) was modified to make it superhydrophobic by a simple hydrothermal method for in-situ synthesis Cu2(OH)3Cl nanoparticles (NPs) followed by impregnation with a stearic acid/epoxy resin (STA/EP) ethanol solution. Surface microstructure, roughness and chemical constituents of the modified wood were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D confocal microscope profilometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Modified wood exhibited superhydrophobicity, characterized by a static water contact angle (WCA) reach 151 ± 3° and sliding angle (SA) less than 6 ± 3°. The modified wood remained superhydrophobicity under harsh conditions including impregnation with strong acid or alkali, 7 cycles of sandpaper abrasion, 200 cycles of tape paste, 192 h of UV irradiation and exposed at 140 °C. The modified wood also exhibited excellent functions, including anti-mold, dimensional stability, stain resistance and self-cleaning, which suggested that the process has potential for protecting wood in exterior exposures.