Hydrothermally structured superhydrophobic surface with superior anti-corrosion, anti-bacterial and anti-icing behaviors

Corrosion and biofoulings are ubiquitous problems with detrimental impact for a variety of industries. Transforming intrinsically hydrophilicity of metallic surface to be non-wetting superhydrophobicity is highly desired for acquiring protective surfaces. In this paper, hydrothermal structured superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated on aluminum alloy substrates through ammonia etching followed with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES) modification. The surface morphologies, roughness, chemical compositions and the relationship between hydrothermal parameters and wettability transition were systematically investigated. Besides, the selfcleaning ability, corrosion resistance, NaCl deliquescence behavior, anti-bacterial and anti-icing properties were evaluated. The results demonstrated a remarkably improved charge transfer resistance (Rct), high anti-bacterial efficiency towards E. coli and S. aureus bacteria and significantly enhanced anti-icing performance. We believe the superior corrosion resisting, bacterial suppression and ice over delay performance of superhydrophobic metallic materials will exhibit promising applications in various industrial fields.

Automated summary

The research focused on fabricating hydrothermal structured superhydrophobic surfaces on aluminum alloy substrates through ammonia etching and PFDTES modification, showing excellent self-cleaning, corrosion resistance, antibacterial, and anti-icing properties.