The R&D Center for Lubricating and Protecting Materials at Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have fabricated a superhydrophobic carbon nanotube/polytetrafluoroethylene (CNTs–PTFE) bulk material possessing low-surface-energy microstructures extending throughout its whole volume by a facile hot-pressing method.

CNTs–PTFE bulk with mechanical stability and reusable superhydrophobic (Image by ZHANG Zhaozhu et al.)

The bulk material retains its superhydrophobicity after being cut deep into it and after 20 abrasion cycles. The bulk material also possesses thermal stability, allowing it to retain its superhydrophobicity even after heat treatment at 500℃. The oil-fouled bulk material can regenerate its superhydrophobicity again just by directly burning off the oil. The environmental oil removal application from water was demonstrated where the bulk material acts as a reusable sorbent scaffold.

This study is expected to offer a new avenue to extend the lifespan of superhydrophobicity.

The work has received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The findings have been published in J. Mater. Chem.(2012, 22, 20146-20148).