Self-Stratified Versatile Coatings for Three-Dimensional Printed Underwater Physical Sensors Applications

A new strategy for developing versatile nanostructured surfaces utilizing the swelling of polymers in solvents is described. The self-stratified coating on 3D printed acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers with nanoparticles enables mechanically durable superhydrophobic characteristics. Unlike other methods, it was capable to produce superhydrophobicity on complex 3D structured surfaces. Mechanically durable superhydrophobic coatings that can withstand an abrasion cycle were obtained. Partial embedding of the nanoparticles into the ABS surface due to the swelling and self-stratification is considered as the reason for the increased mechanical strength of the coating. Utilizing this idea, the original concept of power-free physical sensors responding to changes in temperature, pressure, and surface tension was proposed.