Hexagonal boron nitride based slippery liquid infused porous surface with anti-corrosion, anti-contaminant and anti-icing properties for protecting magnesium alloy

In an era where the concept of green development is deeply rooted, magnesium (Mg) alloy as a light metal has a long-term development prospect in the process of energy saving, emission reduction and environmental improvement. However, anti-corrosion performance of Mg alloy is poor due to the high chemical activity and low equilibrium potential, which limits the development of Mg alloy products. Herein, three-dimensional mesopore hollow polypyrrole spheres (MHPS) were prepared, and the MHPS was inserted into the middle of the stacked hexagon boron nitride (h-BN) lamellae, which allowed the h-BN to be separated forming a further composite with abundant pore structure. Subsequently, the MHPS/h-BN-OH composite was uniformly sprayed on the Mg alloy surface via simple spraying method to form the superhydrophobic surface (SHS). Finally, the slippery liquid infused porous surface (SLIPS) was successfully fabricated by applying drops of silicone lubricant on the superhydrophobic coating surface. After a series of characterization and testing, the results showed that the stacking of h-BN lamellae was significantly reduced after h-BN was successfully embedded by MHPS. In addition, the fabricated SLIPS have excellent self-cleaning, mechanical stability, anti-icing and anti-corrosion properties. Therefore, the method of embedding polymer microspheres not only offers a new strategy for h-BN exfoliation, but also the successful prepared SLIPS largely retards the corrosion of Mg alloy while providing new ideas for the development of SLIPS.