UV-NIR Dual-Responsive Nanocomposite Coatings with Healable, Superhydrophobic, and Contaminant-Resistant Properties

Self-healing superhydrophobic coatings are attracting interest, but it still remains a great challenge to develop facile and fast self-healing strategies for superhydrophobic coatings. In this work, a novel environmentally friendly self-healing superhydrophobic coating based on an ultraviolet (UV)/near-infrared light (NIR) dual-responsive action was fabricated by blending UV-responsive microcapsules with NIR-responsive carbon nanoparticles (NPs), hydrophobic silica NPs, and waterborne silicone latex. The UV-responsive microcapsules were simply prepared through the electrostatic adsorption of negatively charged TiO₂ NPs onto a positively charged microcapsule surface. The UV-NIR dual-responsive properties were mainly reflected in the healing of the superhydrophobic property for coatings through NIR or UV light irradiation. The self-healing process could be repeated many times, which can be attributed to the continued release of fluorine silane (FAS-13) loaded in the UV-responsive microcapsules to the coating surface. The combinations of NIR and UV responses endow the coating with the characteristics of fast healing and large-area healing when damaged by the external environment. In addition, the self-healing superhydrophobic coating film has excellent oil, corrosion, and wear resistance, satisfying the requirements for realistic outdoor applications.