Superamphiphobic surfaces for the sustained maintenance of building materials

Superamphiphobic surfaces are ideal multifunctional protective coatings for a wide range of building materials placed in outdoor environments, owing to the inhibition of liquid adhesion/penetration, spontaneous surface self-cleaning, and the hindering of initial attachment of bacterial cells. In this chapter, the principal degradation phenomena of building materials due to environment-related phenomena and the underlying mechanisms are briefly introduced first. The advances in the preparation, characterization, and performance evaluation of superamphiphobic protective coatings are reviewed. Emphasis is laid on the drawbacks identified after the tentative application, e.g. poor durability, low transparency, and insufficient antimicrobial effect. Meanwhile, considering the physicochemical and aesthetic properties of building materials, the improvement strategies and their applicability are discussed critically. Prospects for future research are also outlined, including enhancing durability by wear-resistant micro/nanostructures and self-healable coating systems, as well as improving transparency and bactericidal efficacy through incorporating SiO₂-based materials and nonmetallic biocidal agents, respectively.