Facile fabrication of self-healing superhydrophobic nanocomposite films enabled by near-infrared light

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 54; no. 10; pp. 7702 - 7718
• Main Authors: Li, Wei, Wu, Gang, Tan, Jinhui, Zhu, Yuntao, Yu, Xufeng, Lei, Yang, Sun, Gang, You, Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.05.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abrasion resistance; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Composites; Corrosion resistance; Cracks; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Epoxy resins; Ethanol; Ferric oxide; Hydrophobic surfaces; Hydrophobicity; Infrared radiation; Iron compounds; Iron oxides; Irradiation; Materials Science; Movie distribution; Movie distributors; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Novels; Polycaprolactone; Polymer Sciences; Resins; Silicon dioxide; Solid Mechanics; Solvents; Spraying; Ultraviolet radiation
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-019-03426-7

A novel robust self-healing superhydrophobic F-SiO 2 /Fe 3 O 4 /EP(epoxy)/PCL nanocomposite film was fabricated through a facile two-step method including resin spraying and NPs perpendicular gradient deposition. Specially, the epoxy/polycaprolactone (EP/PCL) mixed resin matrix was prepared through a spraying process and the functioned silica/magnetic iron oxide (F-SiO 2 /Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles were then deposited on the resin matrix by gradient distribution under gravity and solvent evaporation. The THF/ethanol mixture solvent which acted as film microstructure-directing agent guided the F-SiO 2 /Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles gradient distribution in the nanocomposite films. The results showed that the cutting cracks on the nanocomposite film could be rapidly self-healed and the film would maintain its superhydrophobicity after irradiation by near-infrared light. The nanocomposite films, especially the F-SiO 2 (8.5wt%)/Fe 3 O 4 (1.0wt%)/EP/PCL nanocomposite film, showed high resistant properties on abrasion, corrosive liquids and UV irradiation. The recovery mechanism of the nanocomposite films was also investigated.