A highly fluorinated SiO₂ particle assembled, durable superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coating for both hard and...

Solid surfaces with unique superhydrophobic and superoleophobic wettability in air have thus far shown incomparable applications in various fields. However, existing superoleophobic surfaces are always limited by their sophisticated fabrication strategies. Moreover, surface durability also restricts their further application since the well-designed structures and low-surface-energy chemical components are very susceptible to chemical and physical damage. In this study, we report the exploitation of a durable superhydrophobic and superoleophobic spray and dip coating, which is successfully fabricated by employing 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and fluoroalkyl silane to modify two sizes of SiO₂ particles. The wettability of the developed surface can be tuned by adjusting the mass ratio of the particles due to the change in hierarchical structure. On account of its super-repellence and independence from the substrate, the coating can be coated onto various hard and soft substrates. The as-prepared surfaces exhibit superphobicity to both water and organic fluids with low surface tension, and these liquid droplets can easily roll and bounce on the coated surface, leaving no residues. Furthermore, the coating shows positive antifouling and self-cleaning performances when contaminated or immersed in different liquids. Importantly, the coating is also durable, withstanding harsh environments, such as exposing the coated surface in acid and alkali solution or to high temperatures for a long time, without obviously altering its superamphiphobicity due to the high adhesiveness of poly(vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene) and stable re-entrant-like structure. Its merits of a straightforward fabrication approach and multifunctionality may make the coating suitable for widespread practical applications.