Fabrication of a stable superhydrophobic film constructed by poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/poly(urushiol)-CuS through layer-by-layer assembly

This article describes a simple stepwise layer-by-layer assembly method to fabricate a stable superhydrophobic film based on urushiol. First, by means of the chelation between Cu(II) and the phenolic hydroxyl group in urushiol (U), urushiol–Cu nanoparticles (U–Cu) were obtained. Then, by the method of layer-by-layer assembly, a hydrophobic film with microstructure was prepared via hydrogen-bonding and coordination between U–Cu and PVP. After introducing S2− into the film, a novel micro- and nanoscale hierarchical superhydrophobic film with a water contact angle of 152° was finally obtained. Due to the unique performances of urushiol, it is believed that the as-prepared surface can be used in the fabrication of chemical engineering materials at broad range.