Preparation of Stable Superhydrophobic Coatings on Complex-Shaped Substrates

Superhydrophobic surfaces have potential applications in many fields, but are seriously hindered by their complicated preparation methods and low mechanical stability. Thus, novel strategies for efficient preparation of robust superhydrophobic surfaces on various substrates are highly desired. Here, the preparation of stable superhydrophobic coatings on complex-shaped substrates by the combination of phase separation and dip-coating is reported. The coatings show excellent superhydrophobicity for both water and other frequently used liquids, superior impalement resistance, and high stability. Moreover, this strategy can make diverse complex-shaped substrates superhydrophobic, outperforming the conventional methods. The strategy also has many other merits such as simple, fast (<1 min), scalable (50 kg stock solution per batch and large superhydrophobic samples), and low cost (7.8 CNY m(-2) or 1.2 UDS m(-2)). The superhydrophobic coatings may find applications in many fields including anticorrosion and antiicing, and the findings here will inspire straightforward preparation of robust superhydrophobic coatings on diverse substrates.

Automated summary

This study reports a method for preparing stable superhydrophobic coatings on complex-shaped substrates, which exhibit excellent superhydrophobicity, impalement resistance, and high stability. The method is simple, fast, scalable, and cost-effective, and holds potential applications in fields such as anticorrosion and antiicing.