Reducing the сontact angle hysteresis of thin polymer films
A new paper describes the reduction of the сontact angle hysteresis of polymer films by oil impregnation in supercritical carbon dioxide.

In the present work, a novel one-stage approach to the creation of omniphobic surface using supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent is proposed. Poly(perfluorohexyl ethyl methacrylate – hydroxypropyl methacrylate) copolymer cross-linked with hexamethylene diisocyanate is used as a polymer matrix, and polyoxaperfluorobutyl bromide (oil) is used as a lubricant.
Application on surfaces with a complex structure
It was shown that the addition of fluorinated oil to the synthesis process results in a significant decrease of apparent contact angle hysteresis and sliding angles of the obtained gel thin films. The proposed technique may be of interest for SLIPS application on surfaces with a complex structure like fabrics.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 154, May 2021.