TY - JOUR
T1 - Bioinspired nonswellable ultrastrong nanocomposite hydrogels with long-term underwater superoleophobic behavior
AU - Li, Feibo
AU - Zhang, Gongzheng
AU - Wang, Zhaoshuo
AU - Jiang, Haoyang
AU - Feng, Xianqi
AU - Yan, Shuang
AU - Zhang, Li
AU - Li, Huanjun
AU - Zhao, Tianyi
AU - Liu, Mingjie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Hydrogels, intrinsic hydrophilic materials, have been extensively used for fabrication of underwater superoleophobic substrates. However, the swelling behavior, poor salt tolerance and weak mechanical properties of hydrogels in high-salinity marine environment have significantly negative impacts on underwater oil-repellent effect. Herein, an ultrastrong hydrogel maintaining long-term volume stability in seawater is developed by introducing strong coordination interactions between nanoparticles and polymer matrix. The tensile strength, elastic modulus, and compressive strength of this nonswellable hydrogel are up to 9.2 MPa, 52.3 MPa and 48.5 MPa respectively, superior to those of all other reported underwater superoleophobic hydrogels. After introducing lotus-leaf-like micro/nanostructures on this nonswellable hydrogel, the structured surface demonstrates durable superoleophobicity and ultralow oil adhesion (less than 1 μN) under seawater. Notably, the 3D optical images and SEM images reveal that lotus-leaf-like micro/nanostructures on the nonswellable hydrogel surface can be well preserved even after immersion in seawater for one year, enabling the nonswellable structured hydrogel still to show anti-crude-oil-adhesion property under seawater.
AB - Hydrogels, intrinsic hydrophilic materials, have been extensively used for fabrication of underwater superoleophobic substrates. However, the swelling behavior, poor salt tolerance and weak mechanical properties of hydrogels in high-salinity marine environment have significantly negative impacts on underwater oil-repellent effect. Herein, an ultrastrong hydrogel maintaining long-term volume stability in seawater is developed by introducing strong coordination interactions between nanoparticles and polymer matrix. The tensile strength, elastic modulus, and compressive strength of this nonswellable hydrogel are up to 9.2 MPa, 52.3 MPa and 48.5 MPa respectively, superior to those of all other reported underwater superoleophobic hydrogels. After introducing lotus-leaf-like micro/nanostructures on this nonswellable hydrogel, the structured surface demonstrates durable superoleophobicity and ultralow oil adhesion (less than 1 μN) under seawater. Notably, the 3D optical images and SEM images reveal that lotus-leaf-like micro/nanostructures on the nonswellable hydrogel surface can be well preserved even after immersion in seawater for one year, enabling the nonswellable structured hydrogel still to show anti-crude-oil-adhesion property under seawater.
KW - Durable oil repellency
KW - Exceptional mechanical properties
KW - Lotus-leaf-like surface
KW - Nonswellable hydrogel
KW - Underwater superoleophobicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067873007&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2019.122047
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2019.122047
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85067873007
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 375
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
M1 - 122047
ER -