Liquid-like hyperbranched epoxy resin slippery coating with durable self-healing property by dynamic disulfide bonds

Abstract

Liquid-like slippery coatings of low affinity can make surfaces repellent to foreign substances such as liquids, bacteria, and adhesives. Currently, the degradation of surface roughness and loss of the lubricant layer due to mechanical wear can diminish their anti-fouling performance which limits their practical application. Therefore, it is urgent to design a liquid-like slippery coating that is durable, recyclable, and self-healing properties. Here, we demonstrate a liquid-like slippery coating prepared through the copolymerization of hyperbranched epoxy resin (HBEP), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyldisulfide (APD), and mono-disulfide-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (MD-PDMS) which provides durable and recyclable anti-fouling properties. The designed liquid-like slippery coating can be applied to different substrates, such as glass, PET, and metal to making them repellent to not only liquids with a wide range of surface tensions but also adhesives and dust. When mechanically damaged, the coating exhibits self-healing performance due to the dynamic disulfide bonds of MD-PDMS which can be exchanged internally to reform a liquid-like layer via heating to ∼40 °C, even if it undergoes multiple healing cycles. This strategy envisions a surface with durable and self-healing anti-fouling performance, offering potential applications for the protection of outdoor public facilities, architecture, ships, and more.