Slippery coating without loss of lubricant

Inspired by Nepenthes pitcher plant, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) has been received great concern. However, the fabrication and application of SLIPS generally cannot avoid the complicated construction of the micro/nanostructures and the loss of the lubricant. In addition, despite another slippery covalently surface can exhibit liquid-like properties of SLIPS, the chemical grafting reaction conditions are usually harsh and low-efficiency. To address these challenges, herein an easy, high-efficiency and non-fluorinated strategy to create a flat slippery coating without the loss of lubricant (SCLL) was reported. The better flatness and the own hydrophobicity of the cured polyorganosilazane (PSZ) combined with the silicone oil molecules on its surface endowed the SCLL excellent slippery property. Moreover, the strong intermolecular attraction and the large adhesion work originated from the chemical affinity between PSZ and silicone oil molecules allowed the proposed SCLL with no lubricant loss. We further showed the SCLL has promising application prospects in the ice resistance, indicated by its longer icing-delaying time and lower ice adhesion strength, compared with original Al surface. Our envision is that SCLL may be applied in the practical industry production.

Automated summary

This study presents an easy, efficient, and non-fluorinated method for creating a flat slippery coating with excellent sliding performance and minimal lubricant loss. The chemical affinity between cured polyorganosilazane and silicone oil molecules allows for the fabrication of a slippery coating without losing the lubricant.