Design of functional coating with superior liquid repellency, self-cleaning, photodegradation and thermal insulation properties for building protection

A super-hydrophobic multifunctional coating (SMC) was designed and fabricated by combining commercial TiO2 with polydimethylsiloxane and perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane. The main objective of this research is to enhance the feasibility and effectiveness of SMC coating for building protection. After optimization, the comprehensive performance was significantly improved. The SMC not only significantly improves the water repellency of concrete (decreasing the capillary water absorption by 92.91 %), but also endows concrete with great self-cleaning and photodegradation properties. Additionally, ultraviolet–simulated (90 d) and practical environment (150 d) irradiation tests demonstrate the superior radiative cooling properties of SMC. COMSOL finite element simulation indicates about 20 % of ultraviolet light absorbance and 80 % of visible and near-infrared light reflectance on the SMC. The multifunctional SMC coating not only enhances the water repellency and self-cleaning properties of concrete, but also demonstrates excellent radiative cooling capabilities. These findings highlight the potential of the SMC coating as a promising material for sustainable and energy-efficient building applications.