Sulfur-rich polymers
generated from the inverse vulcanization of
elemental sulfur with unsaturated monomers have emerged as a family
of organic polymers with unique functionalities and broad potential
applications. First described in 2013, inverse vulcanization is still
in its infancy regarding its fundamental development, property exploration
of the resultant polymers, and practical utilizations. Herein, the
robust properties of sulfur-rich composites generated by inverse vulcanization
with SiO2-embedded elemental sulfur are revealed, furnishing
superhydrophobicity with static water contact angles of up to 154.7
± 1.8°, a high anticorrosive effect of 98.9% protection
efficiency for Mg alloy in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution, and a good antibacterial
performance against Escherichia coli (81%) and Staphylococcus aureus (75%). The resulted
composite also shows excellent self-cleaning functionalities. This
has not only expanded the properties/functionalities and applications
of the sulfur-rich polymers resulting from inverse vulcanization but
also provided low-cost alternatives to superhydrophobic coating materials
for practical applications.