Fabrication of Stretchable Superamphiphobic Surfaces with Deformation-Induced Rearrangeable Structures

Stretchable superamphiphobic surfaces with a high deformation resistance are in demand to achieve liquid-repellent performance in flexible electronics, artificial skin, and textile dressings. However, it is challenging to make mechanically robust superamphiphobic coatings, which maintain their superliquid repellency in a highly stretched state. Here, a stretchable superamphiphobic surface is reported, on which the microstructures can rearrange during stretching to maintain a stable superamphiphobicity even under a high tensile strain. The surface is prepared by spray-coating silicone nanofilaments onto a prestretched substrate (e.g., cis-1,4-polyisoprene) with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) layer as a binder. After subsequent fluorination, this surface keeps its superamphiphobicity to both water and n-hexadecane up to the tensile strain of at least 225%. The binding PDMS layer and rearrangeable structures maximize the deformation resistance of the surface during the stretching process. The superamphiphobicity and morphology of the surface are maintained even after 1000 stretch-release cycles. Taking advantage of the mentioned benefits, a liquid manipulation system is designed, which has the potential for fabricating reusable and low-cost platforms for biochemical detection and lab-on-a-chip systems.