A stable 3D sol-gel network with dangling fluoroalkyl chains and rapid self-healing ability as a long-lived superhydrophobic fabric coating

Superhydrophobic films with rapid, lasting self-healing behaviors against physical and chemical damage are very useful for practical applications but remain challenging to realize. Regeneration is time-consuming or invalid as self-healing cycles increase, especially for severe physical damage. Herein, a branched thiol-ene fluoroalkyl siloxane is introduced to design a self-healing superhydrophobic 3D sol-gel network dangling fluoroalkyl chain for coating treatment. The coated fabric was highly durable to withstand at least 1000 cycles of abrasion under 45 kPa and resistant to strong acid/base (e.g., H₂SO₄, KOH), UV, thermal, and smudge treatments. Moreover, regardless of severe physical or chemical damage, the coating rapidly restored its super liquid-repellent properties using long dangling perfluoroalkyl arms. This robust, rapid and long-term self-healing system may promote the development of long-lived protective films for various applications.