Multifunctional magnetorheological elastomers with superior superhydrophobicity and mechanical robustness enabled by magnetic alignment

Zhao Qing Tang; Tongfei Tian; Olivia de Souza Heleno Santos; Alex Skvortsov; Dong Ruan; Jie Ding; Yali Li

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166697

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Multifunctional magnetorheological elastomers with superior superhydrophobicity and mechanical robustness enabled by magnetic alignment

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Multifunctional magnetorheological elastomers with superior superhydrophobicity and mechanical robustness enabled by magnetic alignment

Zhao Qing Tang, Tongfei Tian, Olivia de Souza Heleno Santos, Alex Skvortsov, Dong Ruan, Jie Ding and Yali Li

Applied Surface Science, Vol.735, pp.1-10

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166697

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Abstract

Bio-inspired

Magnetorheological elastomer

Robustness

Submersible

Superhydrophobicity

Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) promise multifunctional performance, but practical use is often limited by poor mechanical resilience. Many SHS rely on soft polymer matrices that are structurally vulnerable; water repellency and related functions degrade under stress. This study introduces a novel method to fabricate multifunctional SHS by combining anisotropic magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) with bio-inspired sharkskin microstructures and hydrophobic iron oxide nanoparticle (SHIP) coating. The SHS fabrication involved a two-step process: soft lithography to imprint a sharkskin pattern on a polyurethane (PU) matrix containing SHIP, followed by SHIP deposition during partial curing under a vertical magnetic field. This process promoted the formation of rebar-like chain microstructures and micro–nano hierarchical roughness, enabling durable superhydrophobicity. The resulting coating exhibited a water contact angle of 163° and contact angle hysteresis of 1°, and retained superhydrophobicity after 500 cm of 240-grit sandpaper abrasion (3.3 kPa), water-jet impact, and 90 days of open-air exposure. The new material showed enhanced compressive strength (59.4% improvement from the control), attributed to vertically aligned iron particle chains, and higher loss modulus and loss factor. Collectively, these results demonstrate a robust, multifunctional coating for applications demanding water repellency, toughness, and vibration damping—for example, marine protective surfaces.

Details

Title: Multifunctional magnetorheological elastomers with superior superhydrophobicity and mechanical robustness enabled by magnetic alignment
Authors: Zhao Qing Tang - Swinburne University of Technology
Tongfei Tian - University of the Sunshine Coast
Olivia de Souza Heleno Santos - Swinburne University of Technology
Alex Skvortsov - Defence Science and Technology Group
Dong Ruan - Swinburne University of Technology
Jie Ding (Corresponding Author) - Defence Science and Technology Group
Yali Li (Corresponding Author) - Swinburne University of Technology
Publication details: Applied Surface Science, Vol.735, pp.1-10
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166697
ISSN: 1873-5584
Data Availability: Data will be made available on request.
Grants: Controlled Ca release in biowaste polymer binder for green infrastructure, FT200100985, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Grant note: This study was partially supported by the Australian Submarine Agency and DARPA (contract HR00112490346).
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991229282602621
Output Type: Journal article

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