Highly liquid-repellent, large-area, nanostructured poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) composite coatings: particle filler effects.

Super-repellent nanostructured composite coatings applied over large areas by spray and subsequent thermal treatment are reported. Solution blending of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) is implemented to formulate filler particle dispersions used to apply these coatings. The wettability of these coatings is manipulated using hydrophobic poly(tetrafluoroethylene) and hydrophilic zinc oxide particle fillers or their combination. The resulting coatings feature contact angles up to 164 degrees for water and 154 degrees for a water and isopropyl alcohol mixture (9:1 weight ratio; surface tension approximately 40 mN/m). A self-cleaning ability is revealed by droplet roll-off angles below 10 degrees . The results show that the fillers affect the coating surface energy and surface roughness, in turn influencing the wettability of the coatings.