Xiangrong Liu

Facile Selective and Diverse Fabrication of Superhydrophobic, Superoleophobic-Superhydrophilic and Superamphiphobic Materials from Kaolin

As the starting material, kaolin is selectively and diversely fabricated to the superhydrophobic, superoleophobic-superhydrophilic, and superamphiphobic materials, respectively. The wettability of the kaolin surface can be selectively controlled and regulated to different superwetting states by choosing the corresponding modification reagent. The procedure is facile to operate, and no special technique or equipment is required. In addition, the procedure is cost-effective and time-saving and the obtained super-repellent properties are very stable. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrates different changes of kaolin particles surfaces which are responsible for the different super-repellency. The scanning electron microscopy displays geometric micro- and nanometer structures of the obtained three kinds of super-repellent materials. The results show that kaolin has good applications in many kinds of superwetting materials. The method demonstrated in this paper provides a new strategy for regulating and controlling the wettability of solid surfaces selectively, diversely, and comprehensively.

Bioinspired fabrication of mechanically durable superhydrophobic materials with abrasion-enhanced properties

A novel mechanically durable superhydrophobic material is prepared by a facile method from kaolin. The mechanically durable superhydrophobicity is obtained by mimicking the lotus leafs ability of self-repairing micro-structures and regenerating hydrophobic wax layer. The superhydrophobic property is evaluated by the water contact angle and sliding angle. The mechanical durability is examined by an abrasion test. The superhydrophobicity of the as-prepared material not only is mechanically durable but also can be enhanced by the surface abrasion. The as-prepared superhydrophobic material showed stability in many rigorous environments. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the geometric micro- and nano-structures distributed through the whole material thickness are responsible for this wearable superhydrophobicity.

Fabrication of recyclable superhydrophobic materials with self-cleaning and mechanically durable properties on various substrates by quartz sand and polyvinylchloride

The recyclable superhydrophobic materials are successfully prepared by employing surface-functionalized quartz sand particles embedded into polyvinylchloride. The as-prepared superhydrophobic materials not only exhibited normal superhydrophobicity but also can retain excellent chemical stability and fascinating mechanical durability after many rigorous tests. These materials can pass the 5H pencil hardness test and maintain good superhydrophobicity even after 500 cm abrasion by a mechanical reciprocating abrasion test loaded of 500 g. Importantly, the debris that is scraped from the superhydrophobic materials can be recycled and easily reused to prepare the superhydrophobic materials. This method is suitable for large-scale production because it uses inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials and gets rids of sophisticated equipment, special atmospheres and harsh operation conditions. Its meaningful to a wide range of future applications in industry and real life.

A versatile and efficient method to fabricate recyclable superhydrophobic composites based on brucite and organosilane

AbstractHere we report multifunctional superhydrophobic recyclable materials that have been successfully prepared by surface-functionalized brucite with organosilane on various substrates, such as glass, copper, fibers, sponge, common paper and filter paper. The obtained superhydrophobic materials exhibited water contact angles >150° and water sliding angles <8°. Mechanical durability of the obtained superhydrophobic material was evaluated by a sandpaper abrasion. It was found that once the surface was mechanically damaged, new roughening structures made of the brucite, SiO2 particles and organosilane would expose and still maintain suitable hierarchical roughness, which is favorable for sustainable superhydrophobicity of the material. Additionally, the as-prepared superhydrophobic material has excellent corrosion resistance, high stability and excellent durability as well as self-cleaning ability. Meanwhile, the as-prepared superhydrophobic material is capable of selectively adsorbing oil contamination from water with the separation efficiency larger than 90%. More interestingly, the debris that was scraped from the superhydrophobic materials can be recycled and easily reused to prepare new superhydrophobic materials. The method developed in this work provides a facile, efficient route to fabricate large scale, mechanically stable and durable superhydrophobic materials for a wide range of potential applications.n

Fabrication of mechanical durable polysiloxane superhydrophobic materials

A mechanical durable polysiloxane superhydrophobic surface was successfully prepared by means of polymerization of silanes blending with particles. The as-prepared polysiloxane surface showed stable superhydrophobicity even after the surface underwent a long distance friction. The superhydrophobicity of the polysiloxane materials can be even slightly enhanced by the surface abrasion. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the micro - and nanometer structures distributed through the whole materials thickness are responsible for the mechanical durable superhydrophobicity.