Underwater writable and heat-insulated paper with robust fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings

Zhibin Jiao; Wencai Chu; Linpeng Liu; Zhengzhi Mu; Bo Li; Ze Wang; Zhiwei Liao; Yuchen Wang; Hao Xue; Shichao Niu; Saihua Jiang; Zhiwu Han; Luquan Ren

doi:10.1039/C9NR10612J

Underwater writable and heat-insulated paper with robust fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings†

Zhibin Jiao,^a Wencai Chu,^a Linpeng Liu,^a Zhengzhi Mu,^a Bo Li,^a Ze Wang,^a Zhiwei Liao,^b Yuchen Wang,

^b Hao Xue,^a Shichao Niu,

*^ab Saihua Jiang,

^bc Zhiwu Han

*^a and Luquan Ren^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
E-mail: niushichao@jlu.edu.cn, zwhan@jlu.edu.cn

^b Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA

^c School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Since its invention invented in China, paper has been widely used in the world for quite a long time. However, some intrinsic defects servely hinder its application in some extreme conditions, such as underwater or in fire. Herein, a bio-inspired durable paper with robust fluorine-free coatings was fabricated via a two-step spray-deposition technique. It not only consisted of modified SiO₂ microspheres and nanoparticles, but also contained an epoxy resin, endowing the paper with multifunctional properties. First, this bio-inspired functional paper showed excellent superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties with a high static water contact angle (WCA) of 162.7 ± 0.5° and a low sliding angle (SA) of 5.7 ± 0.6°. Moreover, it possessed unusual repellent properties toward multiple aqueous-based liquids and heat-insulated properties. Second, this paper could be used for writing underwater and maintained satisfactory superhydrophobic performance for a long time with a WCA of 153.3 ± 1.8°. Besides, its high mechanical robustness was also experimentally confirmed in harsh working conditions, such as strong acid/alkali, boiling water, abrasion, bending, and folding. Compared with conventional paper, it is anticipated that this bio-inspired functional paper would be really competitive and demonstrate great potential in the field of underwater and fire-proof applications.

Nanoscale

Underwater writable and heat-insulated paper with robust fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings†

Abstract

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Underwater writable and heat-insulated paper with robust fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings

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