Stable superhydrophobic polybenzoxazine surfaces over a wide pH range

Advances in Polymeric Neutron Shielding: The Role of Benzoxazine-h-BN Nanocomposites in Nuclear Protection

Given their substantial neutron capture cross-section, extreme hardness, and high chemical and thermal stability, boron-based materials are widely used as building blocks to protect against highly ionizing radiations such as gamma rays and neutrons. Indeed, uncontrolled nuclear radiation exposure can be highly hazardous to radiation workers and the public. In this sense, this work presents an extensive study and experimental evaluation of the nuclear shielding features of hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) based nanocomposite, where bisphenol-A based polybenzoxazine (BA-PBz) was used as matrix. The neutron shielding studies were carried out at the nuclear research reactor of Algeria NUR. The surface treatment of h-BN nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR and XPS techniques. The curing behavior and the degradation phenomena of the nanocomposites were evaluated by DSC-TGA analyses. The distribution of h-BN nanoparticles within the polymer matrix was assessed by TEM and SEM. The results showed that the developed boron nitride-based nanocomposite exhibits intriguing shielding performances and good thermal stability. The DSC-TGA tests exhibit high degradation temperature that reach 279°C. The highest performances were obtained at an h-BN concentration of 7 wt%, where the macroscopic cross was found to be (Σ = 3.844 cm-1) with a screening ratio of (S = 96.12%), equivalent to a mean free path (λ) of 0.138 cm.

Solvent-Free Fabrication of Robust Superhydrophobic Powder Coatings

Superhydrophobicity originating from the "lotus effect" enables novel applications such as self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing, anti-corrosion, and oil-water separation. However, their real-world applications are hindered by some main shortcomings, especially the organic solvent problem, complex chemical modification of nanoparticles, and poor mechanical stability of obtained surfaces. Here, we report for the first time the solvent-free, chemical modification-free, and mechanically, chemically, and UV robust superhydrophobic powder coatings. The coatings were fabricated by adding commercially available polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles into powder coatings and by following the regular powder-coating processing route. The formation of such superhydrophobic surfaces was attributed to PTFE particles, which hindered the microscale leveling of powder coatings during curing. Through adjusting the dosage of PTFE, the hydrophobicity of obtained coatings can be tuned in a large range (water contact angle from 92 to 162°). The superhydrophobic coatings exhibited remarkable mechanical robustness against abrasion because of the unique hierarchical micro/nanoscale roughness and low surface energy throughout the coating and the solid lubrication effect of PTFE particles. The coatings also have robustness against chemical corrosion and UV irradiation owing to high bonding energy and chemical inertness of PTFE. Moreover, the coatings show attractive performances including self-cleaning, anti-rain, anti-snow, and anti-icing. With these multifaceted features, such superhydrophobic coatings are promising for outdoor applications. This study also contributes to the preparation of robust superhydrophobic surfaces in an environmentally friendly way.

Characteristics of Thermosetting Polymer Nanocomposites: Siloxane-Imide-Containing Benzoxazine with Silsesquioxane Epoxy Resins

A series of innovative thermosetting polymer nanocomposites comprising of polysiloxane-imide-containing benzoxazine (PSiBZ) as the matrix and double-decker silsesquioxane (DDSQ) epoxy or polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) epoxy were prepared for improving thermosetting performance. Thermomechanical and dynamic mechanical characterizations indicated that both DDSQ and POSS could effectively lower the coefficient of thermal expansion by up to approximately 34% and considerably increase the storage modulus (up to 183%). Therefore, DDSQ and POSS are promising materials for low-stress encapsulation for electronic packaging applications.

Current Status and Future Prospects of Applying Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Materials for Conservation of Stone Artworks

The development of innovative materials is one of the most important focus areas in heritage conservation research. Eligible materials can not only protect the physical and chemical integrity of artworks but also preserve their artistic and aesthetic features. Recently, as one of the hot research topics in materials science, biomimetic superhydrophobic materials have gradually attracted the attention of conservation scientists due to their unique properties. In fact, ultra-repellent materials are particularly suitable for hydrophobization treatments on outdoor artworks. Owing to their excellent hydrophobicity, superhydrophobic materials can effectively prevent the absorption and penetration of liquid water as well as the condensation of water vapor, thus greatly relieving water-induced decay phenomena. Moreover, in the presence of liquid water, the superhydrophobic surfaces equipped with a self-cleaning property can clean the dirt and dust deposited spontaneously, thereby restoring the artistic features simultaneously. In the present paper, besides the basic principles of wetting on solid surfaces, materials, and methods reported for preparing bioinspired ultra-repellent materials, the recently proposed materials for art conservation are also introduced and critically reviewed, along with a discussion on the droplet impact and durability of the artificial superhydrophobic surfaces. Lastly, the current status and the problems encountered in practical application are also pointed out, and the focus of future research is presented as well.

Resistance of Superhydrophobic Surface-Functionalized TiO₂ Nanotubes to Corrosion and Intense Cavitation

The availability of robust superhydrophobic materials with the ability to withstand harsh environments are in high demand for many applications. In this study, we have presented a simple method to fabricate superhydrophobic materials from TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNTAs) and investigated the resilience of the materials when they are subjected to harsh conditions such as intense cavitation upon ultrasonication, corrosion in saline water, water-jet impact, and abrasion. The TNTAs were prepared by anodization of Ti foil in buffered aqueous electrolyte containing fluoride ions. The hydrophilic TNTAs were functionalized with octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) or 1H, 1H′, 2H, 2H′-perfluorodecyl phosphonic acid (PFDPA) to form a self-assembled monolayer on the TNTA surface to produce superhydrophobic ODPA@TNTA or PFDPA@TNTA surfaces. The superhydrophobic ODPA@TNTA and PFDPA@TNTA have contact angles of 156.0° ± 1.5° and 168° ± 1.5°, and contact angle hysteresis of 3.0° and 0.8°, respectively. The superhydrophobic ODPA@TNTA and PFDPA@TNTA were subjected to ultrasonication, corrosion in saline water, and water-jet impact and abrasion, and the resilience of the systems was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), contact angle (CA) measurements, diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results presented here show that superhydrophobic ODPA@TNTA and PFDPA@TNTA are robust and resilient under the harsh conditions studied in this work, and indicate the potential of these materials to be deployed in practical applications.

All-organic superhydrophobic coatings with mechanochemical robustness and liquid impalement resistance

Superhydrophobicity is a remarkable evolutionary adaption manifested by several natural surfaces. Artificial superhydrophobic coatings with good mechanical robustness, substrate adhesion and chemical robustness have been achieved separately. However, a simultaneous demonstration of these features along with resistance to liquid impalement via high-speed drop/jet impact is challenging. Here, we describe all-organic, flexible superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings that demonstrate strong mechanical robustness under cyclic tape peels and Taber abrasion, sustain exposure to highly corrosive media, namely aqua regia and sodium hydroxide solutions, and can be applied to surfaces through scalable techniques such as spraying and brushing. In addition, the mechanical flexibility of our coatings enables impalement resistance to high-speed drops and turbulent jets at least up to ~35 m s^-1 and a Weber number of ~43,000. With multifaceted robustness and scalability, these coatings should find potential usage in harsh chemical engineering as well as infrastructure, transport vehicles and communication equipment.

Achieving low dielectric, surface free energy and UV shielding green nanocomposites via reinforcing bio-silica aerogel with polybenzoxazine

Silica aerogel (SA) derived from rice husk ash was functionalized using benzoxazine terminated silane (FSA) and was used as a nanoreinforcement for industrial valuable resin polybenzoxazine (PBZ) in order to achieve low dielectric, to improve the surface as hydrophobic and to enhance the UV shielding behavior of the resulting nanocomposites.

Polybenzoxazine/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Nanocomposites

The organic/inorganic hybrid materials from polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS, inorganic nanoparticles) and polybenzoxazine (PBZ) have received much interesting recently due to their excellent thermal and mechanical properties, flame retardance, low dielectric constant, well-defined inorganic framework at nanosized scale level, and higher performance relative to those of non-hybrid PBZs. This review describes the synthesis, dielectric constants, and thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of covalently bonded mono- and multifunctionalized benzoxazine POSS hybrids, other functionalized benzoxazine POSS derivatives, and non-covalently (hydrogen) bonded benzoxazine POSS composites.

Fluorine-free superwetting systems: construction of environmentally friendly superhydrophilic, superhydrophobic, and slippery surfaces on various substrates

Herein we present a simple, substrate-independent, completely fluorine free and environmental-friendly concept for construction of various super-wetting systems.

Electrospun fibers for oil–water separation

The increasing worldwide oil pollution intensifies the needs for new techniques of separation of oil from oily water.

Development of a superhydrophobic polybenzoxazine surface with self-cleaning and reversible water adhesion properties

A superhydrophobic polybenzoxazine surface with self-cleaning properties is obtained, and is resistant to solvents and corrosive liquids.

A self-cleaning polybenzoxazine/TiO2 surface with superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity for oil/water separation

Two important properties-the low surface free energy of polybenzoxazine (PBZ) and the photocatalysis-induced self-cleaning property of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles-are combined to develop a promising approach for oil/water separation. They are integrated into a multifunctional superhydrophobic and superoleophilic material, PBZ/TiO2 modified polyester non-woven fabrics (PBZT), through a simple dip coating and subsequent thermal curing method. The resulting PBZT reveals excellent mechanical durability and strong resistance to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation as well as acid and alkali. This durable superhydrophobic and superoleophilic fabric is efficient for separating oil/water mixtures by gravity with high separation efficiency, and it can also purify wastewater that contains soluble dyes, which makes it more effective and promising in treating water pollution. Importantly, PBZT demonstrates an integrated self-cleaning performance on the removal of both oil and particle contamination. It is expected that this simple process can be readily adopted for the design of multifunctional PBZ/TiO2 based materials for oil/water separation.

Fabrication of highly durable hydrophobic PBZ/SiO2 surfaces

PBZ/Si nanohybrids possessing both hydrophobic character and good thermo-mechanical properties have been prepared and discussed in this paper. H-bonding interactions play an important role in enhancing the properties of PBZ/Si hybrids.

Controllable fabrication of stable superhydrophobic surfaces on iron substrates

A stable superhydrophobic surface with excellent corrosion resistance has been fabricated via electrochemical machining and anneal without organic modification.

Fluorine-free superhydrophobic/hydrophobic polybenzoxazine/TiO2 films with excellent thermal stability and reversible wettability

A thermally stable superhydrophobic film with strong adhesion to glass substrates and reversibly switchable behavior was prepared from polybenzoxazine and TiO₂.

Study the effect of functional molecule types on the surface properties of ZnO nanorods

To better understand the effect of functional molecule types to the surface properties of ZnO nanorods, three organic molecules – ethylenediamine, sodium citrate and butanethiol were used for the surface modification of ZnO nanorods.

Highly flexible solution processable heterostructured zinc oxide nanowires mesh for environmental clean-up applications

ZnO nanowires loaded with Pt, Ag and CuO nanoparticles were synthesized on a flexible mesh for environmental clean-up applications. The heterostructured nanowires mesh is robust with stable photoresponse under bending. The mesh shows photocatalytic degradation and oil–water separation capabilities.

Bioinspired multifunctional hetero-hierarchical micro/nanostructure tetragonal array with self-cleaning, anticorrosion, and concentrators for the SERS detection

Heterohierarchical micro/nanostructure tetragonal array consisted of engineering materials of microprotrusion-like Cu and secondary nanostructured dendrite Ag have been fabricated via a primary cell-induced deposition and a facile galvanic displacement reaction combined with photolithography technique on Cu foil. Confined by the circle microwell tetragonal array of the photoresist template, regular microprotrusion-like Cu with the tunable size of diameter can be easily deposited on the surface of Cu foil. Then, the secondary dendritic Ag nanostructures in situ grow on the surface of microprotrusion via a galvanic displacement reaction, leading to the formation of heterohierarchical micro/nanostructure tetragonal array, which is similar to the surface microstructure of the lotus leaf. Inspired by this novel surface structure of imitating lotus leaf, its wettability has been systematically investigated. The results indicate that the fabricated heterohierarchical micro/nanostructure regular array after the surface fluoration presents a remarkable superhydrophobic performance. Initiated from its superhydrophobicity, an excellent self-cleaning property has also been demonstrated. In addition, the durability of the superhydrophobic surfaces is examined in the wide pH range of corrosive liquids. Notably, the fabricated superhydrophobic surface can be potentially used as concentrators, which presents a great perspective in the field of analysis through employing the SERS detection as an example.

Synthesis and surface properties of low surface free energy silane-functional polybenzoxazine films

A series of low surface free energy silane-functional polybenzoxazine films were prepared from alkylphenol, paraformaldehyde, and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMOS) using a facile one-step thermal curing method. The chemical structures of these benzoxazine monomers were confirmed by FTIR and (1)H NMR. The surface properties of the series of polybenzoxazine films were proved through contact angle measurement, and the lowest surface energy of these films was 14.91 mJ/m(2). Moreover, the hydrogen bond network of the polybenzoxazine systems was studied using the FTIR spectra. The result showed that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding transformed into intermolecular hydrogen bonding with increasing curing time. Based on these findings, the transformation mechanism between the intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding during the progress of curing was proposed. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results indicated that the silane-functional polybenzoxazine, with a high char yield of 57.01%, possessed excellent thermal stability.

An in situ polymerization approach for the synthesis of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic nanofibrous membranes for oil-water separation

Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic nanofibrous membranes exhibiting robust oil-water separation performance were prepared by a facile combination of electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers and a novel in situ polymerized fluorinated polybenzoxazine (F-PBZ) functional layer that incorporated silica nanoparticles (SiO(2) NPs). By employing the F-PBZ/SiO(2) NPs modification, the pristine hydrophilic CA nanofibrous membranes were endowed with a superhydrophobicity with the water contact angle of 161° and a superoleophilicity with the oil contact angle of 3°. Surface morphological studies have indicated that the wettability of resultant membranes could be manipulated by tuning the surface composition as well as the hierarchical structures. The quantitative hierarchical roughness analysis using the N(2) adsorption method has confirmed the major contribution of SiO(2) NPs on enhancing the porous structure, and a detailed correlation between roughness and solid-liquid interface pinning is proposed. Furthermore, the as-prepared membranes exhibited fast and efficient separation for oil-water mixtures and excellent stability over a wide range of pH conditions, which would make them a good candidate in industrial oil-polluted water treatments and oil spill cleanup, and also provided a new insight into the design and development of functional nanofibrous membranes through F-PBZ modification.

Synthesis of superhydrophobic silica nanofibrous membranes with robust thermal stability and flexibility via in situ polymerization

Superhydrophobic silica nanofibrous membranes exhibiting robust thermal stability and flexibility were prepared by a facile combination of electrospun silica nanofibers and a novel in situ polymerized fluorinated polybenzoxazine (F-PBZ) functional layer that incorporated SiO(2) nanoparticles (SiO(2) NPs). By using F-PBZ/SiO(2) NP modification, the pristine hydrophilic silica nanofibrous membranes were endowed with superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of up to 161°. Surface morphological studies have revealed that the wettability of resultant membranes could be manipulated by tuning the surface composition as well as the hierarchical structures. Quantitative fractal dimension analysis using the N(2) adsorption method has confirmed the correlation between hierarchical roughness and WCA for the modified membranes. Furthermore, the as-prepared membranes exhibited high thermal stability (450 °C), good flexibility (0.0127 gf cm), and comparable tensile strength (2.58 MPa), suggesting their use as promising materials for a variety of potential applications in high-temperature filtration, self-cleaning coatings, catalyst carriers, etc., and also provided new insight into the design and development of functional nanofibrous membranes through F-PBZ modification.

Ultraviolet-durable superhydrophobic zinc oxide-coated mesh films for surface and underwater-oil capture and transportation

In this paper, we report a simple and an inexpensive method for fabricating superhydrophobic/superoleophilic mesh films from microstructured ZnO coatings. The microstructured ZnO coatings, which do not contain any fluorinated compounds, maintain their superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity after ultraviolet irradiation and display environmental stability. Furthermore, those microstructured ZnO-coated mesh films exhibit good selectivity (even underwater) and excellent recyclability, making them promising candidates for many potential applications, including liquid-liquid separation, water treatment, and liquid transportation.