Fabrication of All-Water-Based Self-Repairing Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on UV-Responsive Microcapsules

Superhydrophobic coatings that are also self-healing have drawn much attention in recent years for improved durability in practical applications. Typically, the release of the self-healing agents is triggered by temperature and moisture change. In this study, UV-responsive microcapsules are successfully synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization using titania (TiO2) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles as the Pickering agents to fabricate all-water-based self-repairing, superhydrophobic coatings. These coatings are environmentally friendly and can be readily coated on various substrates. Compared to conventional superhydrophobic coatings, these coatings can regenerate superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning ability under UV light, mimicking the outdoor environment, after they are mechanically damaged or contaminated with organics. They can maintain the superhydrophobicity after multiple cycles of accelerated weathering tests.