Reconstructing micro/nano hierarchical structures particle with nanocellulose for superhydrophobic coatings

Nano- and Micro-SiO2 With Integrated Green Chemistry-Based Superhydrophobic Coating for Robust Antifouling and Anticorrosion Properties

With increasing energy demands, the need for coating materials with exceptional superhydrophobic properties has grown substantially. However, the widespread use of fluorinated compounds, solvents, and polymer-based synthetic materials has led to heightened levels of microplastics and pollutants. Here, we used a self-curing, solvent-free, and recyclable polyester polyol polymer material combined with (5 and 6.5 μm) micro- and nanosized SiO2 (μ-SiO2 and n-SiO2) particles to create superhydrophobic coatings with contact angles above 170° and low roll-off angle. They were applied for self-cleaning, antifouling, and anticorrosion purposes and tested for stability in hot water, steam, and ultrasound. Both μ-SiO2 particles mixed with n-SiO2 exhibited excellent improvement in antifouling properties. Furthermore, 5 μm SiO2 incorporated with n-SiO2 demonstrated significantly higher resistance in a 62-cycle sandpaper abrasion test and maintained a contact angle above 150°, whereas this angle was lower for the 6.5 μm SiO2 coating after 30 cycles. These results suggest that 6.5 μm SiO2 offers less resistance to applied force due to its irregular roughness. However, in scenarios with lower forces, such as water drop tests, both coatings easily withstand a drop count of 3000. Additionally, electrochemical polarization curve analysis, AC impedance analysis, and seawater immersion tests confirmed the robust corrosion resistance of the superhydrophobic material.

Direct Write Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Bulk Superhydrophobic Ink Material

Although superhydrophobic surfaces have various promising applications, their fabrication methods are often limited to 2D plane surfaces that are vulnerable to abrasion and have limited adhesion to the substrate. Herein, an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink with bulk superhydrophobicity, consisting of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) resins, hydrophobic silica, and solvent (porogen), was successfully developed for UV-assisted direct write printing processing. After UV curing of the ink followed by solvent evaporation, the generated porous structure cooperates with silica particles to form a self-similar and hierarchical structure throughout the bulk material, which can keep its original morphology even after cyclic abrasion (over 1000 times) and thus exhibits durable superhydrophobicity. With this unique ink, UV-assisted direct write printing can not only create 2D superhydrophobic surfaces on various substrates (e.g., paper and wire mesh) but also fabricate self-supporting 3D superhydrophobic objects for various applications such as waterproofing and oil-water separation. The printed objects exhibited a stable superhydrophobicity against liquid corrosion and mechanical damage. In addition, the 3D printing approach can be used to optimize the oil-water separation performance of the superhydrophobic porous materials by tuning the pore size, thus presenting promising applications.

Transparent Oil-Water Separating Spiky SiO2 Nanoparticle Supramolecular Polymer Superhydrophobic Coatings

A potential application of spiky SiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) with tubular and rough surfaces is investigated as superhydrophobic coatings, for their unique transparent, fluorinate-free, and environmentally friendly properties. This study demonstrates a facile method for the successful fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings and SiO₂ @polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using spiky SiO₂ NPs, N-coordinated boroxines, and PDMS. Combined with spray coating technology, this method of superhydrophobic coating can be simply applied to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces, including wood, fabric, glass, metal, sponge, and paper. The nanocomposite coating on the glass surface showed both excellent superhydrophobicity and high transparency, with a contact angle of 165.4 ± 1.0° and 96.93% transmittance at 550 nm, respectively. SiO₂ @PDMS-modified glass substrate is found to be resilient to UV irradiation, water, and high temperature treatments at ambient conditions. Experimental data demonstrated that the simple but effective combination of N-boroxine-PDMS and spiky SiO₂ NPs produces a layered coating material that exhibits many good integrated surface properties, including stability, transparency, superhydrophobicity, and oil-water separation.

Design and fabrication of superhydrophobic cellulose nanocrystal films by combination of self-assembly and organocatalysis

Cellulose nanocrystals, which have unique properties of high aspect ratio, high surface area, high mechanical strength, and a liquid crystalline nature, constitute a renewable nanomaterial with great potential for several uses (e.g., composites, films and barriers). However, their intrinsic hydrophilicity results in materials that are moisture sensitive and exhibit poor water stability. This limits their use and competitiveness as a sustainable alternative against fossil-based materials/plastics in packaging, food storage, construction and materials application, which cause contamination in our oceans and environment. To make cellulose nanocrystal films superhydrophobic, toxic chemicals such as fluorocarbons are typically attached to their surfaces. Hence, there is a pressing need for environmentally friendly alternatives for their modification and acquiring this important surface property. Herein, we describe the novel creation of superhydrophobic, fluorocarbon-free and transparent cellulose nanocrystal films with functional groups by a bioinspired combination of self-assembly and organocatalytic surface modification at the nanoscale using food approved organic acid catalysts. The resulting film-surface is superhydrophobic (water contact angle > 150°) and has self-cleaning properties (the lotus effect). In addition, the superhydrophobic cellulose nanocrystal films have excellent water stability and significantly decreased oxygen permeability at high relative humidity with oxygen transmission rates better than those of commonly used plastics.

Sources, Chemical Functionalization, and Commercial Applications of Nanocellulose and Nanocellulose-Based Composites: A Review

Nanocellulose is the most abundant material extracted from plants, animals, and bacteria. Nanocellulose is a cellulosic material with nano-scale dimensions and exists in the form of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC). Owing to its high surface area, non-toxic nature, good mechanical properties, low thermal expansion, and high biodegradability, it is obtaining high attraction in the fields of electronics, paper making, packaging, and filtration, as well as the biomedical industry. To obtain the full potential of nanocellulose, it is chemically modified to alter the surface, resulting in improved properties. This review covers the nanocellulose background, their extraction methods, and possible chemical treatments that can enhance the properties of nanocellulose and its composites, as well as their applications in various fields.

Preparing Hydrophobic Cellulose Nanofibers-SiO2 Films and Coating by One-Step Mechanochemical Method

Green and sustainable cellulose-based hydrophobic coatings are increasingly the subject of scientific and industrial research. However, few researchers pay attention to preparing it by a one-step method. Therefore, a superhydrophobic coating composed of hydrophobic SiO2 and cellulose nanofiber modified by 3,4-dichlorophenyl isocyanate was manufactured through one-step ball milling. It was found that the ball milling can promote SiO2 dispersion and achieve the preparation of modified nanocellulose, which further disperse SiO2 nanoparticles to form film or coating. Compared with the ultrasonic dispersion method, the composite coating prepared by ball milling method can obtain higher water contact angle and more stable hydrophobic properties. The hydrophobic cellulose nanofiber can load 1.5 equivalents of SiO2 nanoparticles to form a uniform film with the water contact angle of 158.0° and low moisture absorption. When this nanocomposite is used as a coating material, it can impart super-hydrophobicity to paper surface with water contact angle of 155.8°. This work provides a facile way to prepare superhydrophobic nanocellulose/nanoparticles composite coatings and films, thereby broadening the ways of dispersing nanoparticles and constructing superhydrophobic coatings.

Cellulose nanofiber assisted dispersion of hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles in water and its superhydrophobic coating

It is challenging to build a superhydrophobic coating with aqueous dispersions since hydrophobic substances are usually dispersed in pure organic or water/organic mixed solvents. In this study, hydrophobic SiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed in water assisted with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and the superhydrophobic surface was manufactured by coating a waterborne dispersion composed of CNF, hydrophobic SiO₂ nanoparticles and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). It was found that the dispersion of SiO₂ in water can be improved by CNF. Meanwhile, the coated paper surface retained its hydrophobicity after 10 abrasion cycles due to the adhesion of the coating surface promoted by MTMS. When SiO₂ content over 0.25 wt%, the coated paper surface displayed a superhydrophobic property, and the moisture absorption decreased to 31-34%. The contact angle of the coating surface was 162°, the contact angle hysteresis was 1.96° and the rolling contact angle was 1.33° when SiO₂ content was 1 wt%.

A Review on Nanocellulose and Superhydrophobic Features for Advanced Water Treatment

Globally, developing countries require access to safe drinking water to support human health and facilitate long-term sustainable development, in which waste management and control are critical tasks. As the most plentiful, renewable biopolymer on earth, cellulose has significant utility in the delivery of potable water for human consumption. Herein, recent developments in the application of nanoscale cellulose and cellulose derivatives for water treatment are reviewed, with reference to the properties and structure of the material. The potential application of nanocellulose as a primary component for water treatment is linked to its high aspect ratio, high surface area, and the high number of hydroxyl groups available for molecular interaction with heavy metals, dyes, oil-water separation, and other chemical impurities. The ability of superhydrophobic nanocellulose-based textiles as functional fabrics is particularly acknowledged as designed structures for advanced water treatment systems. This review covers the adsorption of heavy metals and chemical impurities like dyes, oil-water separation, as well as nanocellulose and nanostructured derivative membranes, and superhydrophobic coatings, suitable for adsorbing chemical and biological pollutants, including microorganisms.

Preparation of lignin nanospheres based superhydrophobic surfaces with good robustness and long UV resistance

Lignin is an ideal substance for preparation of functional materials. Specifically, lignin nanospheres (LNPs) are formed by self-assembly of lignin molecules and show great application prospects in drug delivery, electrochemistry, catalysis, etc. At present, most superhydrophobic surfaces are mainly built using non-degradable inorganic particles and are still beset by defects such as poor environmental performance, easy aging, and low mechanical strength. In this study, an aqueous mixture containing LNPs, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was sprayed onto wood surfaces and then modified by 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane (FOTS) to obtain a superhydrophobic surface. In the superhydrophobic surface, LNPs were used as the main structural materials instead of inorganic particles, CNC was used as a reinforcement material and PVA was used as an adhesive. The resulting superhydrophobic surface showed a water contact angle (WCA) of 162°, good robustness resistance and long UV resistance in which the superhydrophobicity was still retained after exposure to ultra-high UV light (power of 1000 W) for 7 h, providing more directions for high-value application of lignin.

Super Anti-Wetting Colorimetric Starch-Based Film Modified with Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Micro-/Nano-Starch for Aquatic-Product Freshness Monitoring

Colorimetric starch film containing anthocyanins is extensively used in eco-friendly intelligent food packaging, but its high water wettability limits its practical application in the food industry. Herein, a super anti-wetting colorimetric starch film was prepared by surface modification with a nano-starch/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) composite coating. The water sensitivity, optical properties, mechanical properties, surface morphology, and surface chemical composition of this film were systemically investigated by multiple methods. The obtained film exhibited an extremely high water contact angle (152.46°) and low sliding angle (8.15°) owing to the hierarchical micro-/nanostructure formed by nano-starch aggregates combined with the low-surface-energy PDMS covering. The anti-wettability, optical barrier, and mechanical properties of this film were also significantly improved. The self-cleaning and liquid-food-repelling abilities of this film were comprehensively confirmed. Moreover, this super anti-wetting colorimetric starch film can be applied to monitor the freshness of aquatic products without being disabled by water.

Hydrophobic composite foams based on nanocellulose-sepiolite for oil sorption applications

TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl)-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were assembled to fibrous clay sepiolite (SEP) by means of a high shear homogenizer and an ultrasound treatment followed by lyophilization using three different methods: normal freezing, directional freezing, and a sequential combination of both methods. Methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was grafted to the foam surface by the vapor deposition method to introduce hydrophobicity to the resulting materials. Both the SEP addition (for the normal and directional freezing methods) and the refreezing preparation procedure enhanced the compressive strength of the foams, showing compressive moduli in the range from 28 to 103 kPa for foams loaded with 20% w/w sepiolite. Mercury intrusion porosimetry shows that the average pore diameters were in the range of 30-45 µm depending on the freezing method. This large porosity leads to materials with very low apparent density, around 6 mg/cm³, and very high porosity >99.5%. In addition, water contact angle measurement and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were applied to confirm the foam hydrophobicity, which is suitable for use as an oil sorbent. The sorption ability of these composite foams has been tested using olive and motor oils as models of organophilic liquid adsorbates, observing a maximum sorption capacity of 138 and 90 g/g, respectively.

Progress in biomimetic leverages for marine antifouling using nanocomposite coatings

Because of the environmental and economic casualties of biofouling on maritime navigation, modern studies have been devoted toward formulating advanced nanoscale composites in the controlled development of effective marine antifouling self-cleaning surfaces.

The Synthesis of a Superhydrophobic and Thermal Stable Silica Coating via Sol-Gel Process

A super-hydrophobic surface at a high temperature (400 °C) using the sol-gel method with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) as precursors has been obtained. The effects of the coatings’ ages, deposited times and thicknesses on the hydrophobicity of the silica coatings have been analysed. The morphology, chemical composition, thermal degradation and hydrophobicity of the resulting surfaces have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transfer infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), Thermogravimetry (TGA) and water contact angle (WCA) measurement. The results show that an average water contact angle of 149° after been cured at 400 °C for a coating aged for 5 days, and four deposition cycles using a dipping rate of 1000 mm/min was achieved.

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN) decorated macroporous silica particles: Synthesis, characterization, and their application in protein adsorption

Effective protein adsorption has attracted attention for broad application in the biomedical field. In this study, we introduce the synthesis of a TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN) decorated macroporous SiO₂ (TOCN@macroporous SiO₂) particle and its protein adsorption performance. The TOCN@macroporous SiO₂ particles have a unique cellulose nanofiber network structure on the macroporous, highly-negative zeta potential (-62 ± 2 mV) and high surface area (30.8 m²/g) for dried-state cellulose based particles. These characteristics provide sites that are rich in electrostatic interaction to exhibit an outstanding adsorption capacity of lysozyme (1865 mg/g). Furthermore, the TOCN@macroporous SiO₂ particles have remarkably high reusability (>90% adsorption capacity) and good release of adsorbate (>80%) after 10 times of use. The material proposed in this paper has the potential for application in drug delivery, protein adsorption, biosensors, and other biomedical fields.