Facile Design and Fabrication of Superwetting Surfaces with Excellent Wear-Resistance

Preparation of mechanically durable superwetting surfaces is imperative, yet challenging for the wide range of real applications where high durability is required. Mechanical wear on superwetting surfaces usually degrades weak roughness, leading to loss of functions. In this study, wear-resistant superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces are prepared by anchoring reinforced coatings via adhesive-swelling and adhesive-bonding processes, respectively. The results of the sandpaper abrasion (grit no. 600, 24 kPa) show that superhydrophilic nylon/SiO2 coatings and superhydrophobic polyurethane/TiO2 coatings retain their functions after suffering the abrasion distances of 70 cm and more than 1000 cm, respectively. Reinforced coatings formed by consecutive roughness and improved adhesion between coatings and substrates are responsible for repeatedly generated superwettability after exposure to mechanical stresses and demonstrated to be feasible for designing wear-resistant superwetting surfaces. Furthermore, this novel architecture of "reinforced coating with consecutive roughness + high adhesion" may demand desired coating materials and reliable coating-fixing techniques for sustaining sufficient roughness and is superior to currently existing technologies in advancing wear-resistance of superwetting surfaces.