Omniphobic and slippery coatings from lubricant-infused, textured surfaces have recently been shown to have superior properties including low contact angle hysteresis and low sliding angles. Here, we present an omniphobic slippery surface prepared by infusing a fluorinated lubricant into a porous polyelectrolyte multilayer. These surfaces repel water and decane with sliding angles as low as 3°. One advantage of polyelectrolyte multilayers is the ease with which they can coat nonplanar surfaces, demonstrated here.

Layer-by-layer assembly of films containing metal ions was investigated. A complex between various metal ions and branched polyethyleneimine is formed in solution and then assembled into multilayer films with poly(acrylic acid). The metal-ligand complex formation results in brightly colored materials that deposit as thick layers. Cu(2+)-containing films were chosen as a model for studying the disassembly of these films in response to various stimuli, including pH, salt, and surfactants. The range of pH instability corresponds to the pH range over which pores are formed in the film. We demonstrate controllable disassembly of these materials, which could be used for antifungal or antibacterial applications.

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