One-pot construction of polydopamine-based superhydrophobic coating with enhanced chemical stability and anti-fouling performance

A facile strategy to construct superhydrophobic coatings was carried out by one-pot process using novel nano zero-valent iron and hydrogen peroxide as trigger in ethanol and Tris buffer mixed system containing dopamine and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT) for the first time. The polydopamine (PDA) modified by PFDT composite coating can be deposited onto various substrates including glass slides, polyurethane sheets, polytetrafluoroethylene wafers, 304 stainless steel sheets, and polyurethane sponges, revealing excellent hydrophobicity with the water contact angles from 157.1° to 162.2° and the sliding angle lower than 1°. The flourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy information of the composite coating demonstrated the successful covalent interaction between catechol group in PDA and thiol group of PFDT via Michael addition reaction. As-prepared PFDT/PDA composite coatings exhibited enhanced chemical stability in highly acidic solutions for 6 days, alkaline aqueous solutions for 5 days, salty solutions (3.5 wt%) for 28 days, and polar organic solvents for 24 h, respectively, as well as resistance to algae adhesion. The excellent corrosion resistance and chemical stability of the composite coating and their simple, time saving and inexpensive construction process are expected to be widely applied in various areas, including marine anti-corrosion, anti-fouling, and oil–water separation.