Fabrication of self-cleaning superhydrophobic surface on aluminum alloys with excellent corrosion resistance

• A self-cleaning superhydrophobic surface (SCSS) is fabricated by a low-cost method.
• Synergy of hierarchical structure and low surface energy is the key to SCSS.
• The SCSS has long-term ambient durability as well as chemical stability.
• The SCSS has excellent corrosion resistance and good self-cleaning performance.

Aluminum (Al) alloys have been widely used in various fields while corrosion and contamination can cause serious problems to their functionality and aesthetic appearance. A self-cleaning superhydrophobic surface (SCSS) could be a potential solution to the problems. In this study, SCSS was fabricated via a facile and low-cost method with electrochemical anodization followed by surface modification using myristic acid. The surface morphology and composition were characterized by an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with attached energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS). The static water contact angle (CA) and sliding angle (SA) on the SCSS were 155.6 ± 1.0° and 5.7 ± 0.2°, respectively. Electrochemical measurement results showed that the corrosion current density (Jcorr) of SCSS was significantly reduced by 3 orders of magnitude and the corrosion potential (Ecorr) shifted from − 0.838 V to 0.403 V, indicating excellent corrosion resistance. The SCSS was further proven to function well after 9 month indoor exposure at room temperature. It also had good chemical stability after immersion in common solvents including deionized (DI) water and absolute ethanol for 36 h. In addition, the as-prepared SCSS also showed good self-cleaning performance.

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