Progressive Research on Fabrication and Applications of Hybrid Superhydrophobic Surfaces Based on Polymers Incorporating Core-Shell Nanostructures-A Review

The ability of a surface to repel water droplets is known as superhydrophobicity. Several attempts are made to replicate the superhydrophobicity of natural surfaces to create artificial superhydrophobic surfaces for different applications. Superhydrophobic coatings, featuring anti-icing, anti-fogging, corrosion resistance, drag reduction, and self-cleaning characteristics meet the needs of several industrial applications. However, low durability, susceptibility to environmental factors, and difficulties for large-scale production limit their applications. The low surface energy and micro-nano structure providing superhydrophobicity are readily harmed by UV light, mechanical wear, and chemical exposure. Their performance is also impacted by unstable air layer that is trapped between the water’s surface and the water. To address this issue several researchers have explored different ways to construct robust and durable superhydrophobic surfaces. This review paper highlights the role of core-shell structure for generating robust as well as rough surfaces as one of the various way to generate superhydrophobicity. The role of shell and the core within it along with the properties acquired due to their synergistic properties for different surfaces for multiple applications is discussed. This review encourages researchers to explore more core-shell structure combinations to construct robust, durable and multifunctional superhydrophobic surfaces and evaluate it performance for future applications.