A robust superhydrophobic Zn coating with ZnO nanosheets on steel substrate and its self-cleaning property

Abstract In this research, a simple and economical method was used to fabricate a superhydrophobic Zn coating with ZnO nanosheets on steel substrates. Electrodeposited Zn coating was firstly formed on the steel substrate for anti-corrosion. Then we used hydrothermal method to process the electrodeposited Zn coating for in-situ growth of ZnO nanosheets. After low-energy modification with pentadecafluorooctanoic acid, the Zn coating with ZnO nanosheets on the steel substrate became superhydrophobicity, with water contact angle of 158° and the sliding angle of about 6°. The prepared superhydrophobic Zn coating with ZnO nanosheets exhibited good stability and excellent self-cleaning property. As a result, this combination method could be utilized in large scale production due to its simplicity and low-cost.