A simple approach to fabricate superoleophobic coatings

We describe a simple method to synthesize copper perfluorooctanoate and fabricate superoleophobic coatings by spraying a copper perfluorooctanoate suspension onto substrates. The re-entrant morphology and high perfluorinated carbon content provide the needed texture and low surface energy to enable the formation of a composite solid–liquid–air interface with low surface tension liquids. Liquid repellency of the fabricated coating is demonstrated by visible experiment results and contact angle measurements. The robustness of the superoleophobicity is investigated by a compression experiment, which shows that the composite interface can maintain its stability against a pressure difference across the interface. The superoleophobic coating can be applied to various surfaces without limitations of size and shape. More importantly, the coatings are easily repaired after being mechanically damaged because of their simple fabrication method.