Fabrication of robust conductive and superhydrophobic coating based on carbon nanotubes

This paper reported a simple approach to prepare robust conductive/superhydrophobic coating. The hierarchical structure was obtained through the addition of microscale filler (graphite powder and expanded graphite) and nanoscale filler (carbon nanotube). The self-similar structure was obtained through bonding the fillers using the epoxy matrix. Through the combination of the hierarchical and self-similar structures, the as-prepared superhydrophobic coating demonstrated excellent anti-abrasion property, good conductivity, excellent self-cleaning performance in both oil and water environment, outstanding anticorrosive property, and superior thermal stability simultaneously. Moreover, this superhydrophobic coating was achieved by a simple casting method, which has the potential to be used in large scale production.