Durable superhydrophobic coating derived from hard-soft technology with enhanced anticorrosion performance

A durable superhydrophobic coating on aluminum alloy is fabricated by the hard-soft technology, including in-situ electrochemical growth of TiO2 nanoparticles in the nanochannels of hard anodic aluminum oxide and modification of octadecyl trimethoxysilane. The modified hierarchical microstructure endows the coating with the excellent hydrophobicity, and the hydrophobic property of the coating can be recovered after heat treatment even though the surface is extensively polished, thus, the corrosion resistance of the superhydrophobic coating is significantly improved. The hard-soft technology strengthens the durability of the superhydrophobic coating, and provides a new strategy for the corrosion protection of hard coating.