A simple approach to fabricate regenerable superhydrophobic coatings

A simple approach is proposed to fabricate a regenerable superhydrophobic coating constructed by spraying metal alkylcarboxylate dispersion on any substrates. This dispersion is prepared by the reaction of metal salt and alkylcarboxyl acid in ethanol solution. The sprayed coating with the flowerlike hierarchical structures shows stable super-repellent behavior for several oily liquids such as ethylene glycol and benzyl alcohol. The advantage of the present approach is that the superhydrophobic performance can be easily repaired by spraying the dispersion again when the coating surfaces are damaged, and the cheap coating materials and simple fabrication approach allow the local repair at anytime and almost anywhere. (C) 2010 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved.