Macroporous Superhydrophobic Coatings with Switchable Wettability Enabled by Smart Shape Memory Polymers

Here, a facile bottom-up nanofabrication technology for making smart superhydrophobic coatings with switchable wettability and tunable optical properties by integrating shape memory polymers (SMPs) templated macroporous photonic crystals is reported. Thermoresponsive efforts exhibited polyurethane-based copolymer enable reversible microstructural transitions between “memorized” permanent configuration composing of highly ordered arrays macropores temporary deformed structure collapsed macropores. The unique SMP crystal large surface roughness can entrap portion air in the interconnecting macropores, resulting superior including high apparent water contact angle (CA > 160°) low CA hysteresis. Importantly, memory-enabled lead to drastic switching from hydrophobic ≈ 110°) or oleophobic ≈139° hexadecane) oleophilic 80°). tunability (>50°) coupled simultaneous color change shining iridescence colorless associated same transition not only provide noninvasive means visually indicating wetting states, this favorable coupling behaviors membranes also pave way developing new nanooptical devices.