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Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications
Published on: August 15, 2018
A Predictive Design Framework for Ultrarobust Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on Lyophobic Interconnected
Bucheng Li1, Jinfei Wei1, Jiaren Zhang1
1Research Center of Resource Chemistry and Energy Materials, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, P. R. China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 1, 2026
Summary
New superhydrophobic (SH) coatings utilize lyophobic interconnected close-packed (LICP) nanostructures for enhanced pressure resistance and mechanical durability. This breakthrough design overcomes limitations of traditional SH architectures, offering superior stability and performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Superhydrophobic (SH) coatings offer significant potential but are limited by poor pressure resistance, mechanical durability, and environmental stability.
- Conventional hierarchical micro/nanostructure designs fail to address these critical challenges effectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel structural design principle for superhydrophobic coatings based on lyophobic interconnected close-packed (LICP) nanostructures.
- To develop a predictive framework for optimizing SH surface properties, focusing on pressure resistance and mechanical robustness.
- To engineer ultrarobust SH surfaces with enhanced stability under extreme conditions.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of coupled relationships between apparent contact angle, capillary pressure, bending stress, and a new robustness index.
- Fabrication of SH coatings based on the identified optimal nanoscale feature size and spacing ratio.
- Experimental validation of SH coating performance under extreme conditions: high hydrostatic pressure, high water-jet velocity, abrasion, and long-term weather exposure.
Main Results:
- A new structural regime for SH surfaces was identified, enabling simultaneous nanoscale reduction in feature size and spacing for improved robustness.
- Fabricated SHLICP coatings maintained stable Cassie-Baxter states under hydrostatic pressures up to 6 MPa and water-jet velocities up to 60.1 m s-1.
- The SHLICP coatings demonstrated exceptional durability, surviving 11,000 abrasion cycles and exhibiting >3 years of chemical and weather resistance, surpassing existing SH systems.
Conclusions:
- The lyophobic interconnected close-packed (LICP) nanostructure design principle significantly enhances the pressure resistance and mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces.
- The developed predictive framework facilitates the rational engineering of ultrarobust SH surfaces by optimizing nanoscale feature geometry.
- The scalable SHLICP coatings offer a promising platform for advanced applications requiring extreme durability and stability.
