Highly Stretchable and Conductive Superhydrophobic Coating for Flexible Electronics

Superhydrophobic materials integrating stretchability with conductivity have huge potential in the emerging application horizons such as wearable electronic sensors, flexible power storage apparatus, and corrosion-resistant circuits. Herein, a facile spraying method is reported to fabricate a durable superhydrophobic coating with excellent stretchable and electrical performance by combing 1-octadecanethiol-modified silver nanoparticles (M-AgNPs) with polystyrene-<i>b</i>-poly­(ethylene-<i>co</i>-butylene)-<i>b</i>-polystyrene (SEBS) on a prestretched natural rubber (NR) substrate. The embedding of M-AgNPs in elastic SEBS matrix and relaxation of prestretched NR substrate construct hierarchical rough architecture and endow the coating with dense charge-transport pathways. The fabricated coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with water contact angle larger than 160° and a high conductivity with resistance of about 10 Ω. The coating not only maintains superhydrophobicity at low/high stretch ratio for the newly generated small/large protuberances but also responds to stretching and bending with good sensitivity, broad sensing range, and stable response cycles. Moreover, the coating exhibits excellent durability to heat and strong acid/alkali and mechanical forces including droplet impact, kneading, torsion, and repetitive stretching–relaxation. The findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate multifunctional superhydrophobic materials with excellent stretchability and conductivity for flexible electronics under wet or corrosive environments

Highly Stretchable and Conductive Superhydrophobic Coating for Flexible Electronics

Superhydrophobic materials integrating stretchability with conductivity have huge potential in the emerging application horizons such as wearable electronic sensors, flexible power storage apparatus, and corrosion-resistant circuits. Herein, a facile spraying method is reported to fabricate a durable superhydrophobic coating with excellent stretchable and electrical performance by combing 1-octadecanethiol-modified silver nanoparticles (M-AgNPs) with polystyrene-<i>b</i>-poly­(ethylene-<i>co</i>-butylene)-<i>b</i>-polystyrene (SEBS) on a prestretched natural rubber (NR) substrate. The embedding of M-AgNPs in elastic SEBS matrix and relaxation of prestretched NR substrate construct hierarchical rough architecture and endow the coating with dense charge-transport pathways. The fabricated coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with water contact angle larger than 160° and a high conductivity with resistance of about 10 Ω. The coating not only maintains superhydrophobicity at low/high stretch ratio for the newly generated small/large protuberances but also responds to stretching and bending with good sensitivity, broad sensing range, and stable response cycles. Moreover, the coating exhibits excellent durability to heat and strong acid/alkali and mechanical forces including droplet impact, kneading, torsion, and repetitive stretching–relaxation. The findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate multifunctional superhydrophobic materials with excellent stretchability and conductivity for flexible electronics under wet or corrosive environments

Highly Stretchable and Conductive Superhydrophobic Coating for Flexible Electronics

Superhydrophobic materials integrating stretchability with conductivity have huge potential in the emerging application horizons such as wearable electronic sensors, flexible power storage apparatus, and corrosion-resistant circuits. Herein, a facile spraying method is reported to fabricate a durable superhydrophobic coating with excellent stretchable and electrical performance by combing 1-octadecanethiol-modified silver nanoparticles (M-AgNPs) with polystyrene-<i>b</i>-poly­(ethylene-<i>co</i>-butylene)-<i>b</i>-polystyrene (SEBS) on a prestretched natural rubber (NR) substrate. The embedding of M-AgNPs in elastic SEBS matrix and relaxation of prestretched NR substrate construct hierarchical rough architecture and endow the coating with dense charge-transport pathways. The fabricated coating exhibits superhydrophobicity with water contact angle larger than 160° and a high conductivity with resistance of about 10 Ω. The coating not only maintains superhydrophobicity at low/high stretch ratio for the newly generated small/large protuberances but also responds to stretching and bending with good sensitivity, broad sensing range, and stable response cycles. Moreover, the coating exhibits excellent durability to heat and strong acid/alkali and mechanical forces including droplet impact, kneading, torsion, and repetitive stretching–relaxation. The findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate multifunctional superhydrophobic materials with excellent stretchability and conductivity for flexible electronics under wet or corrosive environments

Suppression Effect and Mechanism of Amine-Containing MQ Silicone Resin on the Tracking and Erosion Resistance of Silicone Rubber

How to effectively enhance the antitracking performance of silicone rubber is a huge challenge in the field of high-voltage insulation. In this contribution, amine-containing MQ silicone resin (A-MQ) was prepared to enhance the tracking and erosion resistance of addition-cure liquid silicone rubber (ALSR). The results showed that A-MQ imparted ALSR with excellent tracking and erosion resistance. When A-MQ content was 4 phr, all test samples passed the inclined plane test at 4.5 kV, and the erosion mass decreased by 67.8%. In addition, the tensile strength and tear strength increased by 13.2 and 13.6%, respectively, compared with that of ALSR without A-MQ. The suppression mechanism was further investigated in the aspects of heat attack and plasma bombardment by laser Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This revealed that at the elevated temperature caused by arc discharge, A-MQ promoted crosslinking of the polysiloxane molecules and suppressed the generation of cyclic oligomers, which reduced the intensity of the electrical arc. Moreover, when suffering from plasma bombardment, which was also produced by arc discharge, A-MQ protected the silicone chains from degradation and eliminated the carbon deposited on the surface

Synthesis of phenyl silicone resin with epoxy and acrylate group and its adhesion enhancement for addition-cure silicone encapsulant with high refractive index

<p>A novel phenyl silicone resin with epoxy and acrylate group (PSREA) was successfully synthesized via the non-hydrolytic sol-gel condensation reaction of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloyloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, and diphenylsilanediol, and was employed as the adhesion promoter for addition-cure silicone encapsulant (ASE) with high refractive index. The structure of PSREA was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The influence of PSREA on the properties of ASE was studied. It was found that PSREA could markedly enhance the adhesion strength of ASE to aluminum (Al) and poly(p-phenylene terephthamide) (PPA) substrate. When the content of PSREA was 1.5 phr, the shear strength of ASE was 4.43 and 2.27 MPa for Al and PPA substrate, which was about 71 and 266% higher than that of ASE without the adhesion promoter, respectively. In addition, PSREA had little effect on the mechanical properties, refractive index, and viscosity of ASE.</p

Suppression Effect and Mechanism of Platinum and Nitrogen-Containing Silane on the Tracking and Erosion of Silicone Rubber for High-Voltage Insulation

How to effectively improve the tracking and erosion resistance of silicone rubber (SR) was an urgent topic in the field of high-voltage insulation. In this work, the tracking and erosion resistance of SR was significantly improved by incorporating platinum (Pt) catalyst and nitrogen-containing silane (NS). The suppression effect and mechanism of Pt/NS on tracking and erosion were studied by inclined plane (IP) test, thermogravimetry (TG), thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, laser Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It revealed that when 1.4 phr of NS and 6.7 ppm of Pt were added, the tracking resistance of SR was improved from 2.5 to 4.5 kV level in the IP test, and the eroded mass was significantly reduced. This might be attributed to the synergistic effect of Pt/NS on silicone chains. At a high temperature produced by arc discharge, Pt/NS would catalyze radical cross-linking, meanwhile suppressing oxidation and depolymerization of silicone chains. Hence, a tightly cross-linked network was formed and protected inner materials from arc ablation. Moreover, carbon deposit during pyrolysis was suppressed by Pt/NS, which served as the secondary mechanism of tracking suppression

Vapor–Liquid Sol–Gel Approach to Fabricating Highly Durable and Robust Superhydrophobic Polydimethylsiloxane@Silica Surface on Polyester Textile for Oil–Water Separation

Large-scale fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with excellent durability by simple techniques has been of considerable interest for its urgent practical application in oil–water separation in recent years. Herein, we proposed a facile vapor–liquid sol–gel approach to fabricating highly durable and robust superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane@silica surfaces on the cross-structure polyester textiles. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that the silica generated from the hydrolysis–condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) gradually aggregated at microscale driven by the extreme nonpolar dihydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS­(OH)). This led to construction of hierarchical roughness and micronano structures of the superhydrophobic textile surface. The as-fabricated superhydrophobic textile possessed outstanding durability in deionized water, various solvents, strong acid/base solutions, and boiling/ice water. Remarkably, the polyester textile still retained great water repellency and even after ultrasonic treatment for 18 h, 96 laundering cycles, and 600 abrasion cycles, exhibiting excellent mechanical robustness. Importantly, the superhydrophobic polyester textile was further applied for oil–water separation as absorption materials and/or filter pipes, presenting high separation efficiency and great reusability. Our method to construct superhydrophobic textiles is simple but highly efficient; no special equipment, chemicals, or atmosphere is required. Additionally, no fluorinated slianes and organic solvents are involved, which is very beneficial for environment safety and protection. Our findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate organic–inorganic superhydrophobic surfaces with strong durability and robustness for practical applications in oil spill accidents and industrial sewage emission

Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Steel Substrate: Fabrication, Reversibly Extreme Wettability and Oil–Water Separation

Functional surfaces for reversibly switchable wettability and oil–water separation have attracted much interest with pushing forward an immense influence on fundamental research and industrial application in recent years. This article proposed a facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces on steel substrates via electroless replacement deposition of copper sulfate (CuSO₄) and UV curing of vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). PDMS-based superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited water contact angle (WCA) close to 160° and water sliding angle (WSA) lower than 5°, preserving outstanding chemical stability that maintained superhydrophobicity immersing in different aqueous solutions with pH values from 1 to 13 for 12 h. Interestingly, the superhydrophobic surface could dramatically switch to the superhydrophilic state under UV irradiation and then gradually recover to the highly hydrophobic state with WCA at 140° after dark storage. The underlying mechanism was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the PDMS-based steel mesh possessed high separation efficiency and excellent reusability in oil–water separation. Our studies provide a simple, fast, and economical fabrication method for wettability-transformable superhydrophobic surfaces and have the potential applications in microfluidics, the biomedical field, and oil spill cleanup

Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Steel Substrate: Fabrication, Reversibly Extreme Wettability and Oil–Water Separation

Functional surfaces for reversibly switchable wettability and oil–water separation have attracted much interest with pushing forward an immense influence on fundamental research and industrial application in recent years. This article proposed a facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces on steel substrates via electroless replacement deposition of copper sulfate (CuSO₄) and UV curing of vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). PDMS-based superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited water contact angle (WCA) close to 160° and water sliding angle (WSA) lower than 5°, preserving outstanding chemical stability that maintained superhydrophobicity immersing in different aqueous solutions with pH values from 1 to 13 for 12 h. Interestingly, the superhydrophobic surface could dramatically switch to the superhydrophilic state under UV irradiation and then gradually recover to the highly hydrophobic state with WCA at 140° after dark storage. The underlying mechanism was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the PDMS-based steel mesh possessed high separation efficiency and excellent reusability in oil–water separation. Our studies provide a simple, fast, and economical fabrication method for wettability-transformable superhydrophobic surfaces and have the potential applications in microfluidics, the biomedical field, and oil spill cleanup

Dual-Functional Superhydrophobic Textiles with Asymmetric Roll-Down/Pinned States for Water Droplet Transportation and Oil–Water Separation

Superhydrophobic surfaces with tunable adhesion from lotus-leaf to rose-petal states have generated much attention for their potential applications in self-cleaning, anti-icing, oil–water separation, microdroplet transportation, and microfluidic devices. Herein we report a facile magnetic-field-manipulation strategy to fabricate dual-functional superhydrophobic textiles with asymmetric roll-down/pinned states on the two surfaces of the textile simultaneously. Upon exposure to a static magnetic field, fluoroalkylsilane-modified iron oxide (F-Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) moved along the magnetic field to construct discrepant hierarchical structures and roughnesses on the two sides of the textile. The positive surface (closer to the magnet, or P-surface) showed a water contact angle up to 165°, and the opposite surface (or O-surface) had a water contact angle of 152.5°. The P-surface where water droplets easily slid off with a sliding angle of 7.5° appeared in the “roll-down” state as Cassie mode, while the O-surface was in the “pinned” state as Wenzel mode, where water droplets firmly adhered even at vertical (90°) and inverted (180°) angles. The surface morphology and wetting mode were adjustable by varying the ratios of F-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and PDMS. By taking advantage of the asymmetric adhesion behaviors, the as-fabricated superhydrophobic textile was successfully applied in no-loss microdroplet transportation and oil–water separation. Our method is simple and cost-effective. The fabricated textile has the characteristics of superhydrophobicity, magnetic responsiveness, excellent chemical stability, adjustable surface morphology, and controllable adhesion. Our findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate functional superhydrophobic materials with asymmetric surface properties for various potential applications