Superhydrophobic coatings with environmentally friendly materials

Abstract

Due to their excellent robustness and water-repellence properties, materials with low surface energy such as fluoroalkyl compounds (perfluoroalkyl silanes and fluoroacrylic copolymers) and organosilane-based chemistries are used for superhydrophobic coatings fabrication. However, these materials can cause a severe environmental impact and generally are not biodegradable or recyclable. For this reason, new environmentally friendly methods using natural materials are still being developed to obtain similar features, especially for packaging, textile and medical applications. The use of plant-based materials shows potential for creating superhydrophobic coatings, as many of them are naturally hydrophobic and can produce the desired surface textures. The main challenges to making superhydrophobic coatings from plant-based materials are abrasion resistance, strong adhesion, functionality in certain environments, and durability, but at the same time, they must be biodegradable. This chapter summarizes the recent approaches for superhydrophobic coatings made from environmentally safe materials and their applications.