Development of a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Based Superhydrophobic Surface with Abrasion Resistance, Corrosion Protection, and Anti-icing

Herein, a superhydrophobic surface was designed and fabricated based on the "lotus effect" construction mechanism. The zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) micro-nanoparticles were initially synthesized via a one-pot method, combined with long-chain stearic acid (STA), and subsequently embedded in polyvinyl butyral (PVB) to form a superhydrophobic surface at room temperature. The superhydrophobic surface demonstrated mechanical stability and retained its superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle (CA) greater than 150°, even at a wear distance of 400 cm. The composite coating formed by applying this superhydrophobic surface to magnesium (Mg) alloy exhibited a high corrosion potential (<i>E</i>_corr = -0.86 V) and a low corrosion current density (<i>i</i>_corr = 3.66 × 10^-12 A·cm^-2) compared to the uncoated Mg substrate (<i>E</i>_corr = -1.53 V, <i>i</i>_corr = 1.14 × 10^-4 A·cm^-2), indicating that the coating effectively enhances the corrosion resistance of the substrate. Notably, the superhydrophobic composite coating demonstrated corrosion resistance durability with a high charge transfer resistance (<i>R</i>_ct = 5.12 × 10⁹ Ω·cm²) after 5 days of immersion in 3.5 wt % NaCl aqueous solution. In addition, the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface also displayed excellent performance in self-cleaning and anti-icing. We believe that this work can facilitate the application of ZIFs on superhydrophobic surfaces and provide a new approach for metal corrosion protection.