Brushable Lubricant-Infused Porous Coating with Enhanced Stability by One-Step Phase Separation

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021 May 19;13(19):23134-23141. doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c02751. Epub 2021 May 4.

Abstract

Slippery lubricant-infused porous surface (SLIPS) is a promising solution to undesired adhesion. Unfortunately, the complicated fabrication process and limited coating area block its practical applications. Herein, we report a one-step strategy to fabricate polypropylene-based SLIPS coatings through thermally induced phase separation, in which the lubricant is in situ infiltrated within a polymer network formed during cooling. The solid-liquid-phase separation process was monitored by an in situ hot-stage microscope. Such coating performs outstanding self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-bacterial performance, as well as enhanced stability of the lubricant layer because the lubricant is well adapted in the structure.

Keywords: anti-bacterial; anti-corrosion; polypropylene; slippery lubricant-infused porous surface; thermally induced phase separation.