Tunable bulk material with robust and renewable superhydrophobicity designed via in-situ loading of surface-wrinkled microparticles

Abstract Superhydrophobic surfaces possess susceptibility towards mechanical and chemical damages as well as oil fouling, which limits their widespread use in practical applications. Here, we demonstrate a straightforward approach to fabricate tunable bulk material with robust and renewable superhydrophobicity by in-situ loading of interconnected surface-wrinkled microparticles. The bulk material shows mechanochemically robust superhydrophobicity across its whole 3D volume, features renewable superhydrophobicity after extremely chemical corrosion, and could regenerate its water repellency after oil contamination. The bulk material also features ultrahigh efficiency (∼ 98%) in oil-water mixtures separation, due to its selective oil absorption capability from water. Notably, the mechanical performances, microstructures and density of the bulk material can be adjusted on demand by simply changing the amount of loaded microparticles. Compared to the pristine commercial melamine-formaldehyde based porous substrate (MFPS), the achieved bulk material shows up to ∼ 230 folds increase in Young’s modulus, ∼ 145 folds increase in flexure stress and ∼ 25 folds increase in tensile stress. This strategy features great potential for designing lightweight structural materials with robust waterproof functionality as well as materials with efficient oil recovery capability from wastewater.