One-pot coatable fluorinated polyurethane resin solution for robust superhydrophobic anti-fouling surface

Superhydrophobic coating materials have considerable potential in a wide range of industrial applications because of their anti-fouling properties. However, their application is limited due to the instability caused by their fragile structure, resulting in superhydrophobic failure. Moreover, achieving superhydrophobic materials requires complex processes and specialized equipment. Polyurethane (PU) is a promising as a material for superhydrophobic coatings because of its inherent advantages such as adhesion properties and mechanical toughness. In this study, a fluorinated polyurethane (FPU) solution was synthesized using a one-pot method. Further, two types of particles with varying solvent miscibility were blended into an FPU solution. The alterations in surface morphologies, resulting from variations in evaporation conditions due to the different particle compositions, were confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which leads to a difference in hydrophobicity. The prepared coating material was shown to tiny thorn-like surface morphology, which allowed it to demonstrate a high water contact angle of 157°, along with additional anti-fouling properties. Furthermore, the resulting superhydrophobic coating materials demonstrate mechanical robustness under cyclic tape peel test even after 10 cycles and cross-cut test Our study offers an effective approach for achieving superhydrophobic properties while maintaining mechanical durability, thereby advancing the development of high-performance superhydrophobic materials.