Special Issue on Superhydrophobic coatings for corrosion and tribology

Abstract

Superhydrophobicity, showing strong water-repellency, has been widely investigated for many applications, especially in the fields of corrosion protection and antifouling. Water tends to roll off from superhydrophobic surfaces like natural lotus leaves. When a corrosive aqueous solution comes into contact with such a surface, a stable air cushion is formed on the interface between liquid and solid which minimizes the contact area. As a result, the charge transfer of the corrosive reaction is dramatically restrained, resulting in a positively shifted corrosion potential and low corrosion rate. Additionally, the superhydrophobic surface effectively isolates microorganisms from adhering on the surface and thus prevents microbiologically influenced corrosion caused by their metabolites. Thus, the superhydrophobic coatings have potential applications in corrosion protection of marine equipment, medical devices, mechanical components, etc.
However, the lack of mechanical strength and heat resistance prevents the use of these coatings in harsh environments. It is well established that micro-nano hierarchical structures and low surface energy are the two fundamental factors crucial to developing superhydrophobic surfaces, and the superhydrophobicity of these surfaces would be diminished if they were destroyed by abrasion or overheating. The superhydrophobic coatings using wear-resistant inorganic materials are therefore highly sought after. Ceramics are of particular interest due to their high mechanical strength, heat and corrosion resistance. Such superhydrophobic coatings have recently been successfully fabricated using a variety of ceramics and different approaches, and have shown improved wear and tribocorrosion resistance properties.
This special issue is making the best effort to reflect the recent developments in the fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings and their robustness against corrosion and wear resistance. We hope it will stimulate the future research and application.

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