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Fluorine-free superhydrophobic coating sets new standards for durability and eco-friendly performance
A robust, fluorine-free superhydrophobic coating demonstrates exceptional durability, anti-icing, corrosion resistance, and self-cleaning properties, offering sustainable solutions for multifunctional surface applications.
Superhydrophobic surfaces hold great potential for various industrial applications, but their adoption often faces challenges like environmental concerns, complex production processes, and limited durability. A recent study introduces a fluorine-free, eco-friendly superhydrophobic coating that overcomes these limitations while delivering remarkable multifunctionality and robustness.
The coating, composed of zeolitic imidazolate framework-71 (ZIF-71)-assembled CaCO3 microspheres and an epoxy/polydimethylsiloxane dual-network resin, achieves a water contact angle of 154.5° and a sliding angle of 5.4°. Its durability was tested under extreme mechanical stresses, including 300 cycles of tape peeling, 12 m of sandpaper abrasion, high-velocity water jetting with 42 l of water, and 4.0 kg of quartz sand impact. Despite these stressors, the coating retained its superhydrophobic performance, thanks to its hierarchical micro/nanostructure and enhanced interfacial adhesion enabled by the interconnected pore structure of the CaCO3 microspheres.
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Anti-icing and corrosion resistance for harsh environments
In addition to mechanical durability, the coating exhibited strong resistance to corrosive environments, tolerating pH values ranging from 1 to 14 and saturated NaCl solutions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed an impressive impedance modulus of 1.02 × 10¹⁰ Ω·cm² in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, underscoring its corrosion resistance. The coating also delayed ice nucleation by up to 458 seconds and maintained its hydrophobicity after 25 freeze–thaw cycles, demonstrating its effectiveness in anti-icing applications.
With its self-cleaning properties and sustainable design, this fluorine-free coating offers a scalable and environmentally friendly solution for industries requiring high-performance surface protection in harsh conditions.
Source: Zhang, H. et al., Fluorine-free superhydrophobic multi-functional robust coating. Progress in Organic Coatings, 213, 109976 (2026).
