A Robust and Versatile Continuous Super-Repellent Polymeric Film for Easy Repair and Underwater Display
Maolin Liu, Yuanfang Luo, Demin Jia
Abstract
Functionalized super-repellent polymeric materials play important roles in academic and industrial fields. In this work, a versatile continuous super-repellent polymeric film (CSPF) integrating reversible wettability with design manipulation was synthesized. On the basis of the optimal combination of a polyurethane acrylate (PUA)/precipitated silica particle (PSP)/ethanol suspension, covalently cross-linking networks and hierarchical topography were constructed in a polymer skeleton, endowing the CSPF with solid mechanical strength (B hardness). Taking advantage of the continuous superhydrophobicity established by the silica particle across the film bulk, the CSPF was found to be repetitively exposed via the shedding of the surface layer to achieve reversible wettability and repair its nonwetting performance (>50 cycles). Accordingly, the continuous superhydrophobicity and regenerative feature enabled the CSPF to realize design manipulation successively and underwater display rapidly, which may broaden the application fields of super-repellent materials in marine transportation and undersea exploration. Furthermore, the CSPF also displayed enticing damage-resistance (>200 cycles), environmental stability (>5 days), and self-cleaning behavior. Our findings convincingly propose a feasible approach to fabricate versatile super-repellent polymeric materials as candidates for advanced and smart materials.