Advances in Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Surfaces Made from Silicones: Fabrication and Application

As research on superhydrophobic materials inspired by the self-cleaning and water-repellent properties of plants and animals in nature continues, the superhydrophobic preparation methods and the applications of superhydrophobic surfaces are widely reported. Silicones are preferred for the preparation of superhydrophobic materials because of their inherent hydrophobicity and strong processing ability. In the preparation of superhydrophobic materials, silicones can both form micro-/nano-structures with dehydration condensation and reduce the surface energy of the material surface because of their intrinsic hydrophobicity. The superhydrophobic layers of silicone substrates are characterized by simple and fast reactions, high-temperature resistance, UV resistance, and anti-aging. Although silicone superhydrophobic materials have the disadvantages of relatively low mechanical stability, this can be improved by the rational design of the material structure. Herein, we summarize the superhydrophobic surfaces made from silicone substrates, including the cross-linking processes of silicones through dehydration condensation and hydrosilation, and the surface hydrophobic modification by grafting hydrophobic silicones. The applications of silicone-based superhydrophobic surfaces have been introduced such as self-cleaning, corrosion resistance, oil-water separation, etc. This review article should provide an overview to the bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces of silicone-based materials, and serve as inspiration for the development of polymer interfaces and colloid science.