Electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance of aluminum-based hydrophobic infusion surface

Abstract

The surfaces of lubricant infusion porous structures (SLIPSs) inspired by Nepenthes have wide applications in marine anti-fouling, biological low-adhesion, and anti-icing. However, the SLIPS are not stable and tend to be lost in large volume during applications especially in harsh environments, and this greatly reduces their working life. So, it is most important to improve the stability and corrosion resistance of the SLIPS. We elaborate a dimethyl silicone oil (DMSO)-infused modified porous anodized aluminum SLIPS with excellent stability in the harsh environment of high temperature, strong acid and alkali. This SLIPS maintains a high lubricant content (0.93 mg cm⁻²) and low surface sliding angle (7.11°) even at high shear rate (7000 rpm). In addition, this SLIPS has excellent corrosion resistance (corrosion rate of 7.43 × 10⁻⁶ mm a⁻¹) and low electrical conductivity (0.014–0.016 A). This extends the service life of the SLIPS surface in harsh environments, expanding its applications in non-conductive situations.