Comparison of Anti-Icing, Antifouling, and Anticorrosion Performances of the Superhydrophobic and Lubricant-Infused Coatings Based on a Hollow-Structured Kapok Fiber

The superhydrophobic surface and slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS)/lubricant-infused surface (LIS) have attracted increasing attention owing to their multifunctionality. However, their practical applications face several problems such as complex and inefficient preparation technology, loss of lubricant, and fragile microstructures. Therefore, new strategies for preparing microstructures must be developed for constructing superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings. Herein, a low-cost and high-efficiency method for developing superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings based on in situ grown TiO₂ on the surface of a hollow kapok fiber (KF) is reported. The anti-icing, antifouling, and anticorrosion performance of the superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings are compared. The superhydrophobic coating reduces the formation and accumulation of ice. The lubricant-infused coating exhibits an extremely low ice adhesion strength and durable anti-icing properties. The superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings show the outstanding antifouling property of diatom; the superhydrophobic surface exhibits superior stability over LIS without an external force field. The lubricant-infused coating shows excellent corrosion resistance and durability when immersed in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The superhydrophobic coating loses its protection as a result of the corrosion media permeating the metal substrate via the electrolytic cell and coating interface, and the lubricant-infused coating provides lasting corrosion resistance because of the lubricant filling into the interface. Although the superhydrophobic coating is fragile and the lubricant-infused coating will lose lubricant, this simple and convenient approach can be repeated to keep the coatings active. This study provides new inspiration for the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces and LIS based on natural products.