Superhydrophobic Coatings on Cellulose-Based Materials with Alkyl Ketene Dimer Pickering Emulsion: Fabrication and Properties

Abstract

In this study, a stable alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) Pickering emulsion was obtained using chitosan and titanium dioxide (TiO2) as effective emulsifiers to disperse AKD. Superhydrophobic filter paper was prepared, using the filter paper as the substrate, by dipping it into AKD Pickering emulsion and then drying the coating papers at different temperature. The contact angle of the treated filter papers dried at 45 °C could reach more than 150°, and these filter papers effectively separated oil–water mixtures with an efficiency of over 93%. It is worth noting that the preparation process of the superhydrophobic material was simple and mild, and all the raw material was green without secondary pollution to the environment, so it has great practical application potential. This experiment could provide a new idea for the preparation of AKD superhydrophobic coatings and broaden their application.