Adaptive Liquid-like Surface Coatings: Balancing Mechanical Strength, Optical Clarity, and Dynamic Liquid Repellency

Abstract

Achieving multifunctional coatings that simultaneously exhibit dynamic liquid repellency, mechanical robustness, and optical transparency is challenging due to intrinsic conflicts between surface fluidity and structural integrity. Here, we present a facile solvent-induced dynamic phase separation strategy to fabricate mechanically robust silicone-based liquid-like coatings (SLC). By exploiting the immiscibility between linear polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and weakly polar solvents, nanoscale PDMS-rich domains are spontaneously formed and covalently anchored into a crosslinked silicone matrix. This hierarchical structure ensures ultra-low interfacial friction and outstanding dynamic repellency (contact angle hysteresis <5°) towards liquids with diverse surface tensions, even at exceptionally low PDMS content (0.5 wt%). The incorporation of Ti-O-Si bonds significantly enhances coating hardness (>9H), abrasion resistance, and thermal stability, without compromising optical transparency (>90%). The resulting coatings effectively protect flexible optoelectronic devices against mechanical abrasion, fingerprint contamination, and environmental degradation, maintaining device performance even under severe conditions. This approach offers a versatile and scalable pathway toward engineering next-generation adaptive coatings applicable to a wide array of flexible electronics and smart surfaces.