A Superhydrophobic Coating with Sturdy Abrasion and Weather Resistance

Abstract Here, we developed a lotus-leaf-resembling superhydrophobic coating with sturdy abrasion and weather resistance. By taking the sturdiness of the superhydrophobicity into account, this coating was created by incorporating a zinc-mediated superhydrophobic surface that was rough and ultraviolet-resistant into a polyurethane layer capable of strong wear resistance. By spraying the zinc-mediated perfluorosilane and a polyurethane suspension onto an aluminum flake, the lotus-leaf-resembling superhydrophobic coating was thus prepared. The resulting coating displayed the natural superhydrophobic phenomena with a contact angle of up to 157.1° and a rolling angle of 4.2°, greater or smaller by depending on the dosage of zinc. The adoption of zinc to the prepared coating not only mediated the rough surface texture but also extra granted the ultraviolet resistance. In couple with the strong wear resistance of the substrate layer, the proposed superhydrophobic coating provided the expected sturdy abrasion and weather resistance. The development of the superhydrophobic coating shares a prospect with practical applications, especially outdoor applications.