Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) Using Layer-by-Layer Polyelectrolyte Assembly in Organic Solvent

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) are crucial for industries like healthcare and automotive.
• Existing SLIPS fabrication methods often require harsh conditions, complex modifications, or are substrate-specific.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, fast, and facile method for fabricating SLIPS.
• To investigate the influence of layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly parameters on surface properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of branched polyethylenimine and Nafion in methanol.
• Formed hierarchically rough and superhydrophobic surfaces directly on various substrates.
• Infused the resulting polyelectrolyte multilayers with Krytox 100 to create SLIPS.

Main Results:

• Achieved direct fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces without post-modification.
• Demonstrated that surface properties are tunable by adjusting LBL parameters (deposition cycles, dipping/rinsing/drying times).
• The fabricated SLIPS exhibited excellent omniphobic, antifouling, self-cleaning, flexible, and optical properties.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a simplified and versatile approach to SLIPS fabrication.
• The findings offer valuable insights into creating LBL films with tailored morphologies and functionalities.
• This method enhances the potential of SLIPS across diverse industrial applications.