A versatile and efficient method to fabricate recyclable superhydrophobic composites based on brucite and organosilane

Here we report multifunctional superhydrophobic recyclable materials that have been successfully prepared by surface-functionalized brucite with organosilane on various substrates, such as glass, copper, fibers, sponge, common paper and filter paper. The obtained superhydrophobic materials exhibited water contact angles >150° and water sliding angles <8°. Mechanical durability of the obtained superhydrophobic material was evaluated by a sandpaper abrasion. It was found that once the surface was mechanically damaged, new roughening structures made of the brucite, SiO2 particles and organosilane would expose and still maintain suitable hierarchical roughness, which is favorable for sustainable superhydrophobicity of the material. Additionally, the as-prepared superhydrophobic material has excellent corrosion resistance, high stability and excellent durability as well as self-cleaning ability. Meanwhile, the as-prepared superhydrophobic material is capable of selectively adsorbing oil contamination from water with the separation efficiency larger than 90%. More interestingly, the debris that was scraped from the superhydrophobic materials can be recycled and easily reused to prepare new superhydrophobic materials. The method developed in this work provides a facile, efficient route to fabricate large scale, mechanically stable and durable superhydrophobic materials for a wide range of potential applications.