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The corrosion and failure of metallic materials have always been a challenging issue that researchers and engineers urgently want to solve. Inspired by the lotus effect, biomimetic superhydrophobic materials with typical non-wetting characteristics at the interface have shown great potential in the field of corrosion protection.

Although the anti-corrosion function of superhydrophobic materials has been confirmed by researchers at home and abroad, there are still many unresolved challenges in the process of transitioning from the laboratory to practical applications.

Recently, the research team led by Prof. ZHANG Binbin from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) reported an organic-inorganic hybrid superamphiphobic coating with integrated functionalities of liquid repellency, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-icing. 

The study was published in Journal of Materials Science & Technology on Dec. 14. 

The designed coating exhibits both superhydrophobic and superoleophobic properties, showing excellent repellency to low surface tension liquids such as water, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and peanut oil, with sliding angles all less than 7°. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was comprehensively evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel polarization, salt spray test, and outdoor atmospheric exposure, respectively. The results showed that the charge transfer resistance and low-frequency modulus of the coating increased by 7-8 orders of magnitude, enduring 480 h of neutral salt spray and 2400 h of atmospheric exposure, demonstrating significant long-term anti-corrosion potential. In addition to significantly improved corrosion resistance, the coatings also demonstrated their functional integration capabilities in self-cleaning, delayed icing, lossless liquid transportation, and substrate applicability.

The uniform dispersion of functionalized Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in the coatings provides important assurance for the ultimate realization of the coatings' multifunctional integration characteristics.

"We firmly believe that in future research, the continuous improvement of functional integration and long-term stability will remain the focus of this field," said Prof. ZHANG, first and corresponding author of the study. 

This study was financially supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

The superamphiphobic, corrosion resistance, delayed icing, and long-term real-world anti-corrosion performance.