“Soapy water” transformation of the “condenser” with self-cleaning ability and antibacterial activity

Abstract Superhydrophobic materials exhibit diverse application potential in various fields due to their excellent self-cleaning properties. However, it is still challenging to prepare bionic superhydrophobic materials employing the green methods. In this study, the “condenser” (simulated by a red copper spiral tube) with excellent self-cleaning properties and antibacterial activity has been prepared by a simple one-step “soapy water” immersion process without introducing any other reagents. The results demonstrate that the Cu[CH3(CH2)10COO]2 lamellar nanostructures are formed on the surface of “condenser” owing to the oxidation of copper upon immersion in the sodium laurate aqueous solution. The as-formed nanostructures exhibit excellent self-cleaning performance and can significantly inhibit the growth and proliferation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which is significant for the upgradation of the safety and comfort features of the new generation air-conditioners. Moreover, the ruptured superhydrophobic coating on the copper tube can be effectively restored by a facile re-soaking process. Therefore, the present approach, with simple one-step solution-immersion process, low cost, short immersion period, environmental friendliness and optimal applicability to a variety of metal structures of different shapes, represents a promising strategy for fabricating the low-cost superhydrophobic surfaces applicable to the condenser and heat transfer systems, thereby, promoting the development of the self-cleaning and antibacterial smart devices.