Superior Corrosion and UV-Resistant Highly Porous Poly(vinylidene fluoride- co-hexafluoropropylene)/alumina Superhydrophobic Coating

Abstract

The current research is devoted to fabricating a superhydrophobic coating on alumina surfaces via a facile one-step electrospinning technique. The wettability properties of the as-prepared coating were investigated. The polymeric coatings exhibited a water contact angle (WCA) of about 152° ± 3 and a sliding angle (SA) is 4 ± 2°. However, a WCA of 154 ± 2° and a SA of 3 ± 2° were recorded after the addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles. The wettability of the prepared coatings has also been inspected after exposure to intense UV irradiation of 0.89 W/(m2 nm) and high-temperature degree of 60 °C, for 500 h. It was found that the measured WCA and water contact hysteresis (WCAH) for the poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) PVDF-HFP/Al2O3 nanocomposite 150 ± 1° and 10 ± 1° compared with 122 ± 4° and 22 ± 4° of pure PVDF-HFP, respectively. The morphology of the superhydrophobic coating was explored, illustrating the construction of a beaded fiber structure. The surface roughness of the fabricated super water-repellent coatings was recorded using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The electrochemical behavior of superhydrophobic coating was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution before and after exposure to UV radiation. The research outcomes promote a one-step fabrication technique to prepare polymeric superhydrophobic coatings with good resistance for corrosion and degradation under UV irradiation.