Recent Progress in Durable and Self-Healing Super-Nonwettable Fabrics

Considerable interest has been devoted to the development of super-nonwettable (SNW) fabrics owing to their novel functions and enormous potential for applications in diverse fields. The key to practical applications of super-nonwettable fabrics is durability against various damages. Novel strategies have been developed to improve the durability of SNW fabrics. To mimic regeneration ability of natural SNW surfaces, self-healing is introduced. This review summarizes the recent research progress in super-nonwettable fabrics. It summarizes commonly used SNW properties including superhydrophobic-superoleophilic, superhydrophobic-superoleophobic (i.e., superamphiphobic), superoleophobic-superhydrophilic, and underwater superoleophobic fabrics. Strategies to fabricate durable SNW coatings on fabrics are discussed. Special attention is paid toward self-healing SNW fabrics. A perspective on the future development in this field is also provided.