Synthesis of polymeric superhydrophobic coatings of nickel stearate for excellent corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, and photodegradation

Superhydrophobic coatings (SHCs) have been widely reported for various applications; however, the practical applications of SHCs have been restricted by recurrent preparation methods, complex equipment, and low mechanical robustness. The development of a simple, low-cost, and effective superhydrophobic coating remains a challenge. Here, we reported a simple way to fabricate the SHC by using fluoropolymeric suspension of nickel stearate nanoparticles (Ni-St-NPs) on the copper and other substrates. The surface of copper coated by SHC showed a static contact angle of 161 ± 1º and a sliding angle of 2º. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer were used to determine the surface morphology , elemental content, crystal structures, chemical bonding, and structure of the SHCs. The fluoropolymeric coating of Ni-St-NPs showed excellent anti-corrosion and self-cleaning with mechanical durability and stability. Photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes were done at 25 °C and obtained the degradation efficiency of 99 % and 98.1 %, respectively. The existence of self-cleaning, mechanical durability, and photocatalytic properties makes the fluoropolymer coating of nickel stearate a very promising superhydrophobic coating material for multifunctional applications.