Robust and repairable bulk polymeric coatings with continuous superhydrophobicity for design control and underwater display

Functionalized polymeric materials with superhydrophobicity are considered as promising candidates for advanced and smart materials. Herein, a bulk superhydrophobic polymeric coating (BSPC) integrating robustness with repairability for design control and underwater display was fabricated based on the combination of covalently cross-linking epoxy acrylate resin (EAR) and hierarchical precipitated silica particle (PSP). By optimizing the ratio of polymer/particle (10: 4), the BSPC exhibited solid mechanical strength while facing various aggressive stress (>200 cycles). Thanks to the continuous superhydrophobicity constructed by hierarchical topography in the polymer skeleton, the BSPC was demonstrated enticing repairable behavior by polish (>40 cycles). More importantly, the regenerative rough structures enabled the BSPC to achieved design control sequentially via the shedding of the surface layer. Simultaneously, based on the underwater light-reflection, the underwater display was successfully realized on the designed BSPC, which may broaden the application fields of superhydrophobic materials. Additionally, the BSPC presented self-cleaning, anti-corrosion (pH in 1/14), anti-boiling (100 °C) and anti-freezing (0 °C) performances. Our findings conceivably propose a feasible strategy to fabricate versatile superhydrophobic polymeric materials with continuous, repairable and designable features for advanced and smart fields.