Fabrication of super-robust and nonfluorinated superhydrophobic coating based on diatomaceous earth

The utilization of fluorinated chemicals and the lack of mechanical robustness have become the two main obstacles for the practical applications of the superhydrophobic coating. In this work, we created a super-robust and nonfluorinated superhydrophobic coating through the combination of "paint + adhesive" method and "hierarchical structure" method. The microscale diatomaceous earth (DE) together with sand powders contributed to hierarchical structure, which was further bonded by the Portland cement to improve robustness. The nonfluorinated triethoxyoctylsilane was adapted to offer low surface energy. Particularly, the as-prepared sample could withstand the sandpaper abrasion for 18.00 m under 24.50 kPa, tape peeling 80 times under 24.50 kPa, and heat treatment at 150 degrees C for 24 h without losing superhydrophobicity. Furthermore, this super hydrophobic material exhibits excellent self-cleaning properties.