Robust Superhydrophobic Surface Based on Multiple Hybrid Coatings for Application in Corrosion Protection

A new class of superhydrophobic surface based on multiple hybrid coatings is proposed and prepared to improve mechanical and reproduction stability. It does not only show a large water contact angle (ca. 174.5°) but also a slight decrease (ca. 6.4%) of water contact angle after 100 mechanical abrasion cycles. Furthermore, the water contact angle changes slightly (relative standard deviation, 0.14%) for the three superhydrophobic surfaces prepared with the same procedure. The application of superhydrophobic multiple hybrid coatings in corrosion protection is further investigated by the Tafel polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The superhydrophobic multiple hybrid coatings showed lower corrosion current (1.4 × 10^-11 A/cm²), lower corrosion rate (ca. 1.6 × 10^-7 mm/year), and larger polarization resistance (7.9 × 10⁴ MΩ cm²) in 3.5 wt % NaCl aqueous solution compared to other superhydrophobic coatings reported in previous works. This work not only confirms the formation of robust superhydrophobic surface for real application in corrosion protection but also provides a new model of superhydrophobic surface based on multiple hybrid coatings with high mechanical, chemical, and reproduction stability for various applications.