Superamphiphobic coatings based on liquid-core microcapsules with engineered capsule walls and functionality.

ABSTRACT: Microcapsules with specific functional properties, related to the capsule wall and core, are highly desired in a number of applications. In this study, hybrid cellulose microcapsules (1.2?±?0.4?µm in diameter) were prepared by nanoengineering the outer walls of precursor capsules. Depending on the preparation route, capsules with different surface roughness (raspberry or broccoli-like), and thereby different wetting properties, could be obtained. The tunable surface roughness was achieved as a result of the chemical and structural properties of the outer wall of a precursor capsule, which combined with a new processing route allowed in-situ formation of silica nanoparticles (30-40?nm or 70?nm in diameter). By coating glass slides with "broccoli-like" microcapsules (30-40?nm silica nanoparticles), static contact angles above 150° and roll-off angles below 6° were obtained for both water and low surface-tension oil (hexadecane), rendering the substrate superamphiphobic. As a comparison, coatings from raspberry-like capsules were only strongly oleophobic and hydrophobic. The liquid-core of the capsules opens great opportunities to incorporate different functionalities and here hydrophobic superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs) were encapsulated. As a result, magnetic broccoli-like microcapsules formed an excellent superamphiphobic coating-layer on a curved geometry by simply applying an external magnetic field.

SUBMITTER: Nordenstrom M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5832152 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature