In this work, a novel anti-smudge coating system was developed by using hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyester as a coating precursor, mono-hydroxylterminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as an antismudge agent, and hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer as a curing agent. The resultant coatings with 0.5 wt % PDMS content incorporated are highly transparent and liquid repellent. They exhibit striking repellency against various liquids and display remarkable self-cleaning performance. Water, hexadecane, salt solution, strong alkali solution, strong acid solution, pump oil, and crude oil could slide off the coated surface without leaving any traces, and the dirt on the coated surface could be readily removed by water or oil. Besides, these coatings show potential application for anti-fingerprint and anti-graffiti due to the exceptional repellency of coated surface against artificial fingerprint liquid, oil-based ink, paint, and water-based smudge. Furthermore, they also possess superb chemical shielding ability and thus endow substrates with remarkable protection against exposure to harsh chemical conditions. Moreover, these coatings are mechanically robust against extensive abrasion, impact, and bending without compromising antismudge properties, and they also exhibit excellent adhesion to various substrates. Therefore, these newly developed coatings have tremendous potential for widespread applications.
Materials with multiple
functions are highly desirable in practical
applications. Developing multifunctional nanocomposites by a straightforward
process is still a challenge. Here, a versatile nanocomposite has
been developed by simple blending and pressing of multiwalled carbon
nanotubes (MWCNTs) and modified polydimethylsiloxane (MPDMS). Because
of the synergistic effect of MWCNTs and MPDMS, this nanocomposite
exhibits outstanding hydrophobic property, striking self-cleaning
capability, and excellent chemical stability against strong acid and
strong base, which makes it possible to work under wet and even extreme
chemical conditions. Besides, because of its flexibility, this nanocomposite
can be reshaped, bended, twisted, and molded into on-demand patterns
for special applications. Owing to the good distribution of MWCNTs,
the nanocomposite shows high conductivity (with a sheet resistance
of 86.33 Ω sq–1) and high healing efficiency
(above 96.53%) in an electrical field, and it also exhibits outstanding
performance in various electrical circuits and flexible electroluminescent
devices. Furthermore, the inherent portability, recyclability, and
reusability of this nanocomposite make it more convenient and environmentally
friendly for practical applications. Thus, our work provides a new
strategy to develop a multifunctional nanocomposite, and it shows
tremendous potential in flexible electronics.
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