Fabrication of hierarchical structures on steel mesh with good superhydrophobicity and anti-corrosion property

Superhydrophobic surface is an effective strategy to prevent corrosion and pollution of stainless steel. Nevertheless, toxic modifying agents are often used to fabricate superhydrophobic surface on stainless steel, which is a great threat to the environment. Here, an environmental- friendly strategy was used for fabricating water-repellent stainless steel mesh with dendritic hierarchical structures through vacuum vapor deposition technology and replacement reaction. The fabricated superhydrophobic surface exhibited water bounce performance and repellency for liquids. Moreover, the good self-cleaning and anti-stain properties against contaminates and impurities were also displayed. In addition, the electrochemical experiments indicated the superhydrophobic surface obtained better anti-corrosive property compared with pristine stainless steel mesh. The whole preparation process is eco-friendly and easy to control. It is found that the superhydrophobicity can be acquired through heat treatment, without the need of fluorine-containing modified materials, which can prevent environmental pollution. It is expected that the superhydrophobic surface obtained by this method will have a potential application in anti-corrosion and anti-stain fields.