Manufacturing of robust superhydrophobic wood surfaces

Inspired by the unique characteristics and special surface of materials in the living nature – such as lotus leaves, red rose petals, gecko feet or the Salvinia leaf -, a number of researchers have been used various methods to create the biomimetic structures with nano/micro–manufacturing and a low energy surface. Recently, extensive attention has been paid to improving multi–functional robust superhydrophobicity and high optically transparent superhydrophobic surfaces.

Now, a simple and novel method was proposed to synthesise a large area of biomimetic robust superhydrophobic transparent coating, which is based on PEG–functionality SiO₂/PVA/PAA/Fluoropolymer coating with nano/micro–manufacturing structures, and has excellent durability and robustness on wood surface using a multi–solvent continuous modification method.

Robust mechanical nanostructures

The as-prepared biomimetic wood has a robust mechanical nanostructures, which not only has a relatively high UV transmittance of 72% at 550 nm, but also has excellent durability under mechanical shock and different temperature condition. Moreover, it also possess superhydrophobicity and superior water–resistant with a water contact angle of 159°, which is mainly due to the fact that the surface of superhydrophobic coating consists of nanoparticles aggregated with each other in an arrangement of pillars structure enveloping the nanoparticles to form a complete micro–nano binary rough structure via biomimetic PEG–functionalized SiO₂/PVA/PAA/Fluoropolymer hybrid transparent coating, outperforming the untreated wood timber.

The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 153, April 2021.