Development of sustainable superhydrophobic coatings on aluminum substrate using magnesium nanoparticles for enhanced catalytic activity, self-cleaning, and corrosion resistance

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of sustainable superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) using magnesium nanoparticles (Mg-NPs) for catalytic applications and achieved excellent SHSs on the aluminum substrate along with a high static water contact angle of 160° and a low sliding angle of 2° via etching, immersion, and annealing method. The changes in surface chemistry, structural composition, and surface morphology were examined by using various characterization techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Herein, we describe the creation of Mg-NPs @SHS which is facile, eco-friendly, mechanically stable and fluorine-free, along with surface robustness as compared to other SHP coatings present in the literature whose surface textures become fragile and poor wear-resistance due to direct/indirect involvement of toxic chemicals such as fluorocarbons along with complicated preparation processes and costly processing procedures. It showed a low value of Ecorr (-0.425 V) and a high value of Icorr (2.016 × 10-5 A cm-2) than a non-coated Al plate of Ecorr is (-0.801 V) and Icorr (4.998 × 10-3 A cm-2). It has also remarkable self-cleaning, super buoyancy, anti-icing property, and excellent catalytic reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP with efficiency of 99.82% in the 1st and 84% in 13th cycle. These findings suggest that Mg-NPs @SHS on the aluminum substrate have promising applications in sustainable environmental practices and provide valuable insights for the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on different materials. This work offers a new avenue for the development of high-performance catalysts with reusability and durability composed of magnesium particles. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.