Easy and Fast Fabrication of Self-Cleaning and Anti-Icing Perfluoroalkyl Silane Film on Aluminium

Abstract

A combination of the chemical etching process in FeCl3 solution and chemical surface grafting by immersion in ethanol solution containing 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane is a viable route to achieve a hierarchical surface topography and chemical bonding of silane molecules on an aluminium surface leading to (super)hydrophobic characteristics. Characterisation of untreated and treated aluminium surfaces was carried out using contact profilometry, optical tensiometry, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to define the surface topography, wettability, morphology and surface composition. Additionally, the dynamic characteristics were evaluated to define bouncing and the self-cleaning effect. A thermal infrared camera was employed to evaluate anti-icing properties. The micro/nano-structured etched aluminium surface grafted with perfluoroalkyl silane film showed excellent superhydrophobicity and bounce dynamics in water droplet tests. The superhydrophobic aluminium surface exhibited the efficient self-cleaning ability of solid pollutants as well as improved anti-icing performance with melting delay.

Interface Characteristics and Anticorrosion Performances of Cold Galvanizing Coatings Incorporated with γ-chloropropyl Triethoxysilane on Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel

“…new peaks corresponding to Si-O-Si at 531.7 eV and O-Zn at 533.7 eV, suggest that the Si-O-Si crosslinking network was formed and chemically bonded to the substrate. The main peaks of Si-O-C at 101.3 eV, Si-O-Zn at 102.1 eV, Si-C at 102.6 eV, and Si-O-Si at 103.8 eV of Si 2p reinforced this point further [45,46]. Meanwhile, the peak at around 199.9 eV is ascribed to the C-Cl bond of CPTES, which indicates the stability of Cl at the tertiary carbon atom.…”

“…Figure 3 shows the XPS curves fit spectra of CGC and CPTES/CGC. The C 1s peaks of CGC and CPTES/CGC (Figure 3a,c [45,46]. Meanwhile, the peak at around 199.9 eV is ascribed to the C-Cl bond of CPTES, which indicates the stability of Cl at the tertiary carbon atom.…”

Degradation of Sol-Gel Acrylic Coatings Based on Si and Zr Investigated Using Electrochemical Impedance, Infrared and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopies

“…These changes reflect the formation of a more complex network between Si-OH and ZTP (Zr-O-R bonds) with two new wide intense bands at 945 and 968 cm -1 , Figures 3A,C. bond (Rodič et al, 2020). This accounts for good adhesion on the aluminium surface (Rodič and Milošev, 2014).…”

Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Surface Constructed from Hydrophilic Building Blocks: A Case Study of Core–Shell Polypyrrole-Coated Copper Nanoneedles

“…For over 80 years, the development of superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) has been focused on the creation of surface microstructures with low surface energy chemical coatings [3]. Various strategies, such as chemical etching, plasma treatment, photolithography, chemical vapor deposition, and electrostatic deposition are employed to create SHS with substantially high water contact angles, low hysteresis, oil repellency, and omniphobicity, e.g., the creation of a superhydrophobic lotus-leaf-like bioinspired surface [4], a superhydrophobic carbon nanotube forest [5], reentrantly textured silica micropillar arrays [6], an omniphobic slippery liquid infused porous surface [7], and a robust superhydrophobic metal surface [8]. However, these microstructured SHS may require additional low-surface-energy coatings, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, fluoroalkylsilanes, and perfluorinated fluids, to achieve and stabilize their superhydrophobic properties such as self-cleaning, droplet bouncing, and liquid repellency.…”