Fast self-healing and antifouling polyurethane/fluorinated polysiloxane-microcapsules-silica composite material

With the rapid development of industrial manufacturing, the demand for superhydrophobic antifouling coatings with excellent mechanical and self-healing properties is increasingly urgent. In this paper, a fast self-healing and antifouling polyurethane/fluorinated polysiloxane-microcapsules-silica (PFPMS) composite material is prepared. Firstly, IPDI@PGMA(m)/GO microcapsules with compact shell structure are synthesized. Subsequently, the microcapsules together with nano-SiO2 particles are filled in fluorinated polydimethylsiloxane (AHTF PDMS), which is terminated by alcoholic hydroxyl and contains trifluoropropyl side groups. Finally, PFPMS composite is acquired by cross-linking at room temperature with the aid of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Herein, the strong hydrogen bond can effectively improve the mechanical and bonding strength of PFPMS. By constructing a micro-nano-dual-scale surface formed by the microcapsules and nano-SiO2, the excellent antifouling performance of PFPMS is realized. Furthermore, the isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) core flowing out after ruptures of the microcapsules undergoes a rapid cross-linking reaction with the active hydrogen in the urethane bond at 65 degrees C, thereby realizing fast self-healing. The result shows that the PFPMS is beneficial for achieving superior mechanical, antifouling and fast self-healing properties, which are expected to be widely used in self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fogging, oil/water separation, drag reduction, as well as the rapidly growing field of microfluidics, sensors and wearable fields.

Automated summary

In this study, a fast self-healing and antifouling composite material called PFPMS was prepared. It exhibited excellent mechanical and antifouling properties, and achieved fast self-healing through the cross-linking reaction of ruptured microcapsules. The micro-nano-dual-scale surface formed by the microcapsules and nano-SiO2 contributed to the superior antifouling performance of PFPMS.