Lubricant-infused slippery surfaces: Facile fabrication, unique liquid repellence and antireflective properties

Versatile biomimetic materials possess exceptional functions to address practical challenges in a wide variety of industries. Lubricant-infused slippery (LIS) surfaces that imitate the microstructure of carnivorous nepenthes can repel water and various organic solutions. These materials are manufactured via the infusion of lubricant oil into porous surfaces, a process which yields interfaces that allow other fluids that contact those surfaces to slide off readily. Herein, a facile spin-coating strategy was introduced to construct LIS surfaces. Three kinds of silanes (Tetraethylorthosilicat (TEOS), vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoroalkyltriethoxysilanes (POTS)) and a UV-curing adhesive were adopted to fabricate an omniphobic coating. After the lubricant (perfluoroalkylpolyether (PFPE)) infusion, the prepared LIS surfaces exhibited an excellent liquid repellent property and positive anti-reflectivity, self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-corrosion and mechanical resistance properties. The results of this research indicated that this LIS surface can facilitate the manufacture of transparent and multi-functional slippery materials by means of straightforward procedures.