Design, fabrication, and performance study of SLIPS with biomimetic grid microstructures

SLIPS with biomimetic grid microstructures were successfully fabricated on aluminum alloys. • The as-prepared surfaces exhibit remarkable slipperiness and robust structural stability. • The proposed method is applicable for functional treatment of metallic alloy surfaces. As a typical engineering metal material, the research on surface protection methods of aluminum alloy has attracted much attention. Inspired by the slippery interface of Nepenthes pitcher plants, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have been developed for engineering metal protection. However, traditional SLIPS generally have problems such as poor durability and easy loss of lubricants, which seriously restrict their practical applications. To solve above problem, we proposed a SLIPS with biomimetic grid microstructures (SBGM) that inspired by microstructure of the Tirumala limniace, which was obtained through multiple laser processing to fabricate grid microstructures. The SBGM exhibited good self-cleaning and anti-fouling performance. Sandpaper abrasion, tape peeling, lubricant retention, and natural environment storage tests demonstrated that the SBGM retained its slippery functionality under the tested conditions. The electrochemical corrosion test showed that the corrosion current density of SBGM was approximately 58.3% lower than that of Bare Al, indicating improved corrosion resistance. At -10 °C± 1 °C, the delayed freezing time of SBGM was 3.5 times that of the Bare Al. SBGM exhibits good lubricant retention and durability, together with improved corrosion protection and anti-icing performance, indicating its potential for engineering metal surface protection. Download: Download high-res image (205KB) Download: Download full-size image