Artificial super-slippery surfaces inspired by the insect-trapping mechanism of pitcher plants have demonstrated immense application potential in fields such as anti-icing, anti-fouling, drag reduction, and anti-scaling. However, the traditional slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) suffers from inherent limitations, including complex fabrication processes, and short service lifespans. These drawbacks necessitate the development of simpler and more efficient preparation methods to enhance surface durability. Herein, a hierarchical structure featuring surface fibers and underlying arrayed pores was fabricated on aluminum plates via anodic oxidation (AAO). Combined with SiO2 sol-gel modification and 1H,1H,2H,2H -perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane functionalization, the surface exhibited stable superhydrophobic oleophilic properties. By employing a vacuum impregnation method under 80 kPa pressure to infuse hydroxy-fluorosilicone oil into the composite hierarchical structure, a long-lasting super-slippery surface (AAO-SiO2-SLIPS) was successfully prepared. Surface morphology was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while surface wettability was evaluated via contact angle goniometry. The optimal preparation parameters were determined as follows: anodization voltage of 30 V and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) content of 16.6%. Following fluorination modification and hydroxy-fluorosilicone oil infusion, the AAO-SiO2-SLIPS surface exhibited an exceptionally low water sliding angle of 2.7°. Compared to conventional super-slippery surfaces infused with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oil (AAO-SiO2-PDMS), the AAO-SiO2-SLIPS surface maintained superior sliding performance under shear stress generated by a spin coater at 1 500 r/min, with a sliding angle remaining 21.2°. This enhanced stability was primarily attributed to hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between the hydroxy- fluorosilicone oil and the AAO-SiO2-SHC surface, which significantly improved the adhesion and stability of the oil layer. In friction tests, samples were subject to a 100 g load and reciprocated over 180 cycles on 1000-grit sandpaper. The AAO-SiO2- PDMS surface experienced a dramatic increase in sliding angle to 11.2°, losing its super-slippery properties. In contrast, the AAO-SiO2-SLIPS surface showed only a slight increase to 7.1°, retaining excellent super-slippery characteristics and oil film stability. Wear resistance was further evaluated by measuring mass loss after friction testing. The AAO-SiO2-SHC surface exhibited a wear mass loss of 15.5 mg, while the AAO-SiO2-PDMS surface demonstrated a reduced wear mass loss of 9 mg. Notably, the AAO-SiO2-SLIPS surface achieved the lowest wear mass loss of 5.6 mg after 180 cycles, indicating exceptional mechanical durability. Anti-scaling performance was assessed by quantifying calcium deposition on the surfaces. The unmodified AAO-SiO2 sample showed a calcium deposition of 24%, while the hydrophobic-modified AAO-SiO2-SHC sample exhibited reduced deposition at 15.5%. Remarkably, the AAO-SiO2-SLIPS super-slippery surface demonstrated a calcium deposition of only 2.3%, highlighting its superior anti-scaling properties and significant reduction in scale adherence. In summary, this study demonstrates that constructing a composite hierarchical structure with a fibrous top layer and a porous array bottom layer via anodic oxidation, combined with SiO2 sol-gel treatment, PFTS hydrophobic modification, and infusion of reactive lubricating oil, can substantially enhance the oil film stability, mechanical durability, and anti-fouling performance of super-slippery surfaces. The proposed AAO-SiO2-SLIPS surface demonstrates exceptional long-term oil film stability under shear stress, friction, and scaling conditions. This performance makes it a highly promising solution for industrial applications demanding robust anti-fouling, drag reduction, and anti-scaling capability.
Key words
anodic aluminum oxide /
slippery liquid-infused porous surface /
hydroxy-fluorosilicone oil /
wear resistance /
oil film stability /
anti-scaling capability
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Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China (52203136, 52303102); Heilongjiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation for Excellent Young Scholars (YQ2024E007); China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2024MD753912); Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Research Foundation (LBH-Z24107); Northeast Petroleum University "National Fund" Incubation Program (2023GPL-04); Northeast Petroleum University Scientific Research Foundation (2021KQ05)
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