Preparation and comparison of NP-GLIDE, SLIPS, superhydrophobic, and other coatings from identical precursors at different mixing ratios

An NP-GLIDE coating contained in matrix nanometer-sized pools of a grafted lubricating ingredient for dewetting enablement and lubricant poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) was used in this study. Furthermore, a silicone-infused NP-GLIDE (SINP-GLIDE) coating contained in its matrix nanopools of a silicone oil mixture that was stabilized by the grafted PDMS chains. Also, the coating was a pre-SLIPS (slippery liquid-infused porous surface) when the diameter of the PDMS-stabilized silicone oil pools became comparable with the wavelength of visible light. In this study, NP-GLIDE, SINP-GLIDE, and pre-SLIPS coatings were prepared from curing bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) and poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-graft-poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PGMA-g-PDMS) using Jeffamine in the absence or presence of a silicone oil mixture. The SLIPS coatings were obtained after additionally dosing the surfaces of the pre-SLIPS films with silicone oil. A pre-SLIPS formulation was also cast onto a rough substrate to yield a superhydrophobic coating. Besides the preparation of the various coatings, herein, we report the optical and de-wetting properties of the different coatings and phase diagrams describing the relationship between the coating types with PDMS and their silicone oil mass fractions. The results of this comparative study facilitate the choice of coating for targeted applications.