Advances in Sol-Gel-Based Superhydrophobic Coatings for Wood: A Review

As the focus of architecture, furniture, and other fields, wood has attracted extensive attention for its many advantages, such as environmental friendliness and excellent mechanical properties. Inspired by the wetting model of natural lotus leaves, researchers prepared superhydrophobic coatings with strong mechanical properties and good durability on the modified wood surface. The prepared superhydrophobic coating has achieved functions such as oil-water separation and self-cleaning. At present, some methods such as the sol-gel method, the etching method, graft copolymerization, and the layer-by-layer self-assembly method can be used to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces, which are widely used in biology, the textile industry, national defense, the military industry, and many other fields. However, most methods for preparing superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces are limited by reaction conditions and process control, with low coating preparation efficiency and insufficiently fine nanostructures. The sol-gel process is suitable for large-scale industrial production due to its simple preparation method, easy process control, and low cost. In this paper, the research progress on wood superhydrophobic coatings is summarized. Taking the sol-gel method with silicide as an example, the preparation methods of superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces under different acid-base catalysis processes are discussed in detail. The latest progress in the preparation of superhydrophobic coatings by the sol-gel method at home and abroad is reviewed, and the future development of superhydrophobic surfaces is prospected.

Automated summary

Wood has gained extensive attention in architecture, furniture, and other fields for its environmental friendliness and excellent mechanical properties. Inspired by the wetting model of lotus leaves, researchers have developed superhydrophobic coatings with strong mechanical properties and durability on modified wood surfaces. Various methods, such as sol-gel, etching, graft copolymerization, and layer-by-layer self-assembly, have been used to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces, which find application in biology, textiles, defense, and military industries. However, current methods for preparing superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces have limitations in reaction conditions and process control, resulting in low efficiency and insufficiently fine nanostructures. The sol-gel process offers a simple, cost-effective, and easily controlled method for large-scale industrial production of superhydrophobic coatings. This paper summarizes the research progress on wood superhydrophobic coatings, focusing on the sol-gel method with silicide as an example, and discusses different acid-base catalysis processes for preparing superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces. The latest developments in sol-gel-based superhydrophobic coatings at home and abroad are reviewed, and the future development of superhydrophobic surfaces is discussed.