Nanoscale fletching of liquid-like polydimethylsiloxane with single perfluorocarbons enables sustainable oil-repellency.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40701950.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-62119-9 and PMC identifier 12287368.
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Abstract
Oil repellency is essential for enabling self-cleaning, anti-soiling and stain-repelling properties, which has broad application in industries liked textiles, healthcare and electronics. While per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exhibits strong oleophobicity, their environmental and health risks have led to prohibition on long-chain PFAS ( ≥ C<sub>8</sub>) and restriction on short-chain PFAS (C<sub>4</sub>, C<sub>6</sub>). However, there are few alternative materials demonstrating comparable oil repellency. Here, we introduce a novel method to fletch polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) brushes with ultrashort PFAS (singe -CF<sub>3</sub>, the least toxic PFAS), achieving oil repellency similar to short-chain PFAS while drastically reducing the fluorine content. This work highlights that liquid-like molecular design, rather than chain length, can enable sustainable oil repellency, facilitating a smoother transition away from PFAS reliance.