A Review on Fabrication Methods and Research Progress of Superhydrophobic Silicone Rubber Materials

Exploration of wearable strain sensors in diverse application scenarios is one global requirement for shaping the future of our intelligent community. However, state-of-the-art wearable devices still face challenges such as interference under humid conditions and chemical/mechanical fragility. Here, a facile and fluorine-free approach is introduced to realize a sensitive, robust and superhydrophobic strain sensor via the in situ formation of microcilia on the PDMS surface, followed by a two-step swelling process. The swelling process facilitates the penetration of carbon black nanoparticles into the PDMS matrix to render the conductive network suitable for strain sensing, while the decoration of silica nanoparticles along with the microcilia forms a hierarchical architecture for water repellency. The sensing performance was optimized, including the sensitivity (gauge factor of 354), working range (up to 250%), and long-term stability (>10 000 cycles). The superhydrophobic surface exhibits excellent resistance to mechanical abrasion, chemical corrosion, and high-speed water impact, etc. Demonstrations, such as body motion perception, wireless and underwater communications, Morse code generation, underwater jet impact, reveal the potential of the sensor as a robust platform for broad applications not only in air but also for underwater or under harsh condition uses.

A superhydrophobic and anti-corrosion strain sensor for robust underwater applications

Superhydrophobic ZnO Nanowires: Wettability Mechanisms and Functional Applications

A fluorine-free superhydrophobic silicone rubber surface has excellent self-cleaning and bouncing properties

Transparent non-fluorinated superhydrophobic coating with enhanced anti-icing performance

The use of a silicone rubber composite insulator has become an important aspect to ensure the safe operation of an electrical power grid. This study introduces a preparation method of a superhydrophobic silicone rubber surface using a simple preparation process at low cost and with excellent performance, which can be used in the mass production of silicone rubber composite insulators. In this study, the combination of a compression molding process and a template method was used to prepare the product. A microstructure composed of numerous boat-shaped grooves was constructed on the surface of silicone rubber. The modification of a low surface energy material is not required. The static contact angle with water after the high-temperature treatment exceeds 150°, and the rolling angle is under 10°. Excellent performance has been observed in terms of self-cleaning effect, aging resistance, and mechanical and droplet bounce properties. It has been shown that the loss of superhydrophobic properties, due to the prolonged immersion in water, can be restored by a high temperature heating process.

Guangfei Wang

Papers

A Review on Fabrication Methods and Research Progress of Superhydrophobic Silicone Rubber Materials

A superhydrophobic surface with aging resistance, excellent mechanical restorablity and droplet bounce properties.

A fluorine-free superhydrophobic silicone rubber surface has excellent self-cleaning and bouncing properties

A simple preparation method for superhydrophobic surface on silicon rubber and its properties

Preparation methods and research progress of superhydrophobic paper