Coral-like urushiol-based deposited coating prepared by precipitation copolymerization

The fabrication of micro/nano hierarchical structures is a crucial step in imparting super-wettability to materials. However, existing methods often suffer from drawbacks such as low efficiency, complex processes, and limited applicability. In this study, a simple one-step deposition process was employed to prepare a coral-like coating with a micro/nano hierarchical structure. This was achieved through the precipitation copolymerization of a renewable biomaterial, urushiol, with 1,6-hexamethylenediamine (HDA) in an ethanol solution. The reaction mechanism of the precipitation copolymerization and the formation of the deposited coating were investigated using chemical structure and surface morphology characterization. The study also examined the effects of various reaction conditions, including reactant ratios and solution pH, on coating morphology and hydrophobicity. Due to the unique functional groups and microstructures, the urushiol-HDA deposition modification imparted high hydrophobicity to various substrates without using low-surface-energy modifiers, demonstrating its broad applicability. Furthermore, secondary modifications of the deposited coating endowed the substrates with more diverse chemical structures and surface properties. Thus, the ease of preparation, broad applicability, and tunable modification effects make the urushiol-HDA deposition modification a promising method for creating super-wetting surfaces.