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Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition
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Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 9205

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ioannis Karapanagiotis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: cultural heritage; antimicrobial; pigment; dye; superhydrophobic; superoleophobic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite submissions to this Special Issue on the subject of superhydrophobic coatings. This is a continuation of a successful previous Issue (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/coatings/special_issues/superhydrophobic_coat).

Bioinspired surfaces with special wetting properties, which range from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity and from superoleophobicity to superoleophilicity, have attracted considerable attention. Among these, supehydrophobic surfaces, which can be either water-repellent or water-adhesive, stand out due to their diverse potential applications.

Hundreds of different methods have been devised and applied in order to produce hierarchically structured, superhydrophobic surfaces such, as sol–gel, controlled nanoparticle embedding into polymer matrices (composites), wet chemical reactions, electrochemical deposition, plasma etching, chemical vapor deposition, lithography, electrospinning, solution immersion, emulsion, and so on.

Superhydrophobic coatings have numerous applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Agriculture and food packaging;
  • Anti-biofouling;
  • Anti-fogging and anti-smudge;
  • Anti-microbial;
  • Anti-sticking, anti-contamination;
  • Energy efficiency in heat transfer systems;
  • Friction and drag reduction;
  • Lab-on-a-chip devices;
  • Medical and biomedical uses;
  • Membranes, e.g., water harvesting, water cleaning, oil–water separation;
  • Metal refining;
  • Microfluidics;
  • Multifunctional coatings;
  • Self-cleaning;
  • Stain-resistant textiles (and other surfaces);
  • Waterproofing and anti-corrosion methods.

Contributions addressing these areas—including advancements in the fabrication techniques, characterization, and new applications of superhydrophobic coatings—are highly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Ioannis Karapanagiotis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • superhydrophobic surfaces and coatings
  • water-repellent surfaces and coatings
  • superoleophobic surfaces and coatings
  • oil-repellent surfaces and coatings
  • anti-biofouling

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3817 KB  
Article
Improving Corrosion Resistance of Magnesium Alloys via Synergistic Action of TiO2 Superhydrophobic Coating and Micro-Arc Oxidation
by Weirong Quan, Zongfan Duan, Yu Liu, Ruihao Wang, Shuoqing Cui, Shaodong Sun and Dongjie Liu
Coatings 2026, 16(3), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16030363 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 518
Abstract
To mitigate the intrinsic high corrosion susceptibility of AZ31B magnesium alloy, a three-step synergistic surface modification strategy was developed in this work: initially, a MgO ceramic coating was in situ fabricated on the AZ31B substrate via micro-arc oxidation (MAO); subsequently, a TiO2 [...] Read more.
To mitigate the intrinsic high corrosion susceptibility of AZ31B magnesium alloy, a three-step synergistic surface modification strategy was developed in this work: initially, a MgO ceramic coating was in situ fabricated on the AZ31B substrate via micro-arc oxidation (MAO); subsequently, a TiO2 sealing barrier layer was deposited on the MAO coating through a deep ultraviolet (DUV)-assisted sol–gel method; finally, a superhydrophobic top layer was constructed via fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) self-assembly. The microstructural characteristics, chemical compositions and corrosion resistance of the coatings at different modification stages were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) measurements and electrochemical tests. The results showed that the as-deposited TiO2 was predominantly anatase phase, and FAS molecules were firmly anchored on the coating surface via Si-O-Ti covalent bonds, endowing the composite coating with a WCA of up to 160°. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the FAS-TiO2-MAO composite coating exhibited an ultra-low corrosion current density of 1.31 × 10−9 A/cm2 and a remarkably high charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 3.46 × 108 Ω·cm2. Compared with the bare AZ31B substrate, the corrosion current density was decreased by nearly four orders of magnitude, while the charge transfer resistance was enhanced by approximately six orders of magnitude, indicating a significant improvement in corrosion resistance. Moreover, the composite coating exhibited excellent interfacial adhesion, favorable mechanical durability, and outstanding chemical stability, confirming its reliable long-term corrosion protection and high practical application potential. This work provides a feasible strategy for fabricating high-performance superhydrophobic anticorrosive coatings on magnesium alloys. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 12266 KB  
Article
Superhydrophobic Nanocomposite of Paraloid B72 and Modified Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles for Cultural Heritage Conservation
by Eirini Gkrava, Nikoletta Florini, Panagiotis Manoudis, Anastasia Rousaki, Christina P. Pappa, Vasilios Tsiridis, Maria Petala, Eleni Pavlidou, Philomela Komninou, Konstantinos S. Triantafyllidis, Thodoris D. Karapantsios, Panagiotis K. Spathis and Ioannis Karapanagiotis
Coatings 2026, 16(3), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16030347 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 600
Abstract
Superhydrophobic materials have clear potential for mitigating rain/humidity-induced damage to cultural heritage. In the present study, the wetting properties of Paraloid B72 were tailored to achieve superhydrophobicity by incorporating modified calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles (NPs). B72 is a well-established conservation product [...] Read more.
Superhydrophobic materials have clear potential for mitigating rain/humidity-induced damage to cultural heritage. In the present study, the wetting properties of Paraloid B72 were tailored to achieve superhydrophobicity by incorporating modified calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles (NPs). B72 is a well-established conservation product while CaCO3 is chemically compatible with calcareous materials commonly found in cultural heritage buildings and objects. Initially, the wettabilities of CaCO3 NPs, functionalised with caproic (C6), caprylic (C8), lauric (C12), myristic (C14), palmitic (C16), and stearic (C18) acid, were evaluated by measuring water contact angles (CAs) on NP pellets. For NPs with short hydrocarbon chains, CA increased with chain length, from 66.3° for CaCO3-C6 to 118.0° for CaCO3-C12 NPs. For NPs with longer chains, CA remained stable and around 118°. Based on these results, CaCO3-C12 NPs were selected for further investigation and subjected to transmission electron microscopy analysis, which revealed chain-like agglomerates of aggregated nanocrystallites (5–10 nm) forming 40–150 nm polycrystalline NPs. Scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with elemental mapping revealed a homogeneous distribution of Ca, C, and O within the NPs. Next, CaCO3-C12 NPs were dispersed in B72 solutions and sprayed onto limestone, which was employed as a model calcite-rich substrate. At optimal NP concentration, the resulting composite coating exhibited superhydrophobicity (CA > 150°), while it induced minimal colour alteration to limestone and effective resistance to capillary water absorption. The fluorine-free coating also demonstrated good durability against UV exposure, drop impact, salt attack, freeze–thaw cycles, tape peeling, drop pH variations, and thermal treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 12230 KB  
Article
Effects of Two-Level Surface Roughness on Superhydrophobicity
by Yanfei Wang, Mengdan You and Qiang Sun
Coatings 2025, 15(11), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15111269 - 2 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1117
Abstract
Biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces have become a focal point of recent research, driven by their promise in diverse applications. Among these, the lotus and rose effects are of particular interest due to their contrasting adhesion characteristics. Given that superhydrophobicity is closely related to the [...] Read more.
Biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces have become a focal point of recent research, driven by their promise in diverse applications. Among these, the lotus and rose effects are of particular interest due to their contrasting adhesion characteristics. Given that superhydrophobicity is closely related to the hierarchical structures of these surfaces, investigating the effects of two-level roughness on superhydrophobicity is crucial. In our previous work, we introduced a wetting parameter (WRoughness), strongly correlated with the geometric characteristics of surface roughness, to elucidate the superhydrophobic behavior of solid surfaces. This parameter predicts the existence of a critical wetting parameter (WRoughness,c) during the Wenzel–Cassie transition. For two-level surface roughness composed of primary and secondary roughness, the WRoughness of the two-level surface is influenced by the geometric characteristics of both primary and secondary roughness. Furthermore, when secondary roughness is added to a primary roughness surface in the Wenzel state, the resulting two-level roughness can exhibit various superhydrophobic states, such as the Wenzel state, Wenzel–Cassie transition, or Cassie state, depending on the characteristics of the secondary roughness. To further investigate the influence of two-level roughness on superhydrophobicity, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were also conducted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 3449 KB  
Article
Superhydrophobic Coating on 6061 Aluminum Alloy Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Etching and Anodic Oxidation
by Quanlv Liu and Yuxin Wang
Coatings 2025, 15(7), 816; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15070816 - 11 Jul 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1819
Abstract
A superhydrophobic surface with hierarchical micro/nano-array structures was successfully fabricated on 6061 aluminum alloy through a combination of femtosecond laser etching and anodic oxidation. Femtosecond laser etching formed a regularly arranged microscale “pit-protrusion” array on the aluminum alloy surface. After modification with a [...] Read more.
A superhydrophobic surface with hierarchical micro/nano-array structures was successfully fabricated on 6061 aluminum alloy through a combination of femtosecond laser etching and anodic oxidation. Femtosecond laser etching formed a regularly arranged microscale “pit-protrusion” array on the aluminum alloy surface. After modification with a fluorosilane ethanol solution, the surface exhibited superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 154°. Subsequently, the anodic oxidation process formed an anodic oxide film dominated by an array of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopores at the submicron scale. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that the nanopore structures uniformly and continuously covered the laser-ablated layer. This hierarchical structure significantly increased the surface water contact angle to 162°. Wettability analysis showed that the prepared composite coating formed an air layer accounting for 91% of the surface area. Compared with the sample only treated by femtosecond laser etching, the presence of the Al2O3 nanopore structure significantly enhanced the mechanical durability, superhydrophobic durability, and corrosion resistance of the superhydrophobic surface. The proposed multi-step fabrication strategy offers an innovative method for creating multifunctional, durable superhydrophobic coatings and has important implications for their large-scale industrial use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 2594 KB  
Article
A Highly Hydrophobic Siloxane-Nanolignin Coating for the Protection of Wood
by Mariana M. M. Ramos, Christina P. Pappa, Panagiotis N. Manoudis, Vasiliki Kamperidou, Eleni Pavlidou, Vasilios Tsiridis, Maria Petala, Konstantinos S. Triantafyllidis, Panagiotis K. Spathis and Ioannis Karapanagiotis
Coatings 2025, 15(3), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15030293 - 2 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2851
Abstract
Wood, a vital material for both modern and heritage objects, is particularly susceptible to degradation caused by water due to its hydrophilic nature and porous structure. Therefore, developing sustainable strategies to protect wood is of significant importance. This study aims to produce a [...] Read more.
Wood, a vital material for both modern and heritage objects, is particularly susceptible to degradation caused by water due to its hydrophilic nature and porous structure. Therefore, developing sustainable strategies to protect wood is of significant importance. This study aims to produce a highly hydrophobic coating for the protection of wood following a straightforward procedure and using materials that are compatible with wood. First, nano/sub-microlignin (NL) is isolated and produced from beech wood through a one-step tailored organosolv process. Next, NL is incorporated into Sivo 121, a water-borne and solvent-free silane system recommended by the manufacturer for protecting wood surfaces. Composite coatings containing various concentrations of NL and Sivo 121 are applied to chestnut (Castanea spp.) and oak (Quercus spp.). The impact of NL concentration on the contact angles of water drops (CAs) and colour changes (ΔE) of the treated wood specimens is investigated. The coating with 4% w/w NL demonstrates enhanced hydrophobicity (CA = 145°) and has a negligible effect on the colour of pristine oak (ΔE < 3). The wetting properties of coated oak are not affected after 100 tape peeling cycles. However, the coating exhibits poorer performance on chestnut, i.e., CA = 135°, which declines after 80 peeling cycles, and ΔE > 5. The drop pH does not have any noticeable effect on CA. The latter remains stable even after prolonged exposure of coated oak and chestnut samples to artificial UV radiation and outdoor environmental conditions. Finally, the composite coating offers good and comparable protection for both wood species in the biological durability soil burial test Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 11860 KB  
Article
Composite Treatment of Mortar Through Nano-Ion-Based Capillary Crystalline and Silane Hydrophobic Processing to Enhance Its Corrosion Resistance in the Cl−-Contained Environment
by Quan Hua, Changyun Wu, Yangshun Zhu, Haoyu Wang, Guowei Wang, Shuguang Zhang and Dan Song
Coatings 2025, 15(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15030278 - 26 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1492
Abstract
The inherent porous structure of concrete enables the penetration of water and Cl− ions through its pores, which eventually leads to rebar corrosion within the concrete. Consequently, the densification and impermeability of concrete protective layers play a critical role in the durability [...] Read more.
The inherent porous structure of concrete enables the penetration of water and Cl− ions through its pores, which eventually leads to rebar corrosion within the concrete. Consequently, the densification and impermeability of concrete protective layers play a critical role in the durability of reinforced concrete structures. This study proposes a composite anti-corrosion treatment for mortar protective layers by integrating nano-ion capillary crystalline with silane hydrophobic processing. Targeting existing mortar samples, a series of experiments were conducted, utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetry (DSC-TG), X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), contact angle measurements, permeability tests, and electrochemical tests. These experiments systematically evaluated the effects of composite anti-corrosion treatment on the microstructure of hydration products, pore characteristics, surface hydrophobicity, impermeability, and the overall corrosion resistance of mortar-rebar samples in a Cl−-contained environment. The results reveal that nano-ion capillary crystalline materials react with free calcium ions in the mortar to produce secondary hydration products, effectively filling micro-pores, densifying the pore structure and inhibiting the invasion of Cl− ions. The combination of capillary crystalline and silane hydrophobic processing synergistically enhances surface hydrophobicity and impermeability, preventing the ingress of corrosive agents, such as Cl− ions, and significantly improving the anti-corrosion performance of mortar in a Cl−-contained environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Superhydrophobic Coatings, 2nd Edition)
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