Dandelion inspired multi-functional superhydrophobic bamboo scrimber with desirable humidity resistance

Abstract

Bamboo scrimber is high value added biomass fiber composites from natural bamboo due to its excellent multiple properties. However, the hydrophilicity of bamboo scrimber make it being susceptible to mold, fungi decay, colour changing and cracking during outdoors application. Therefore, wind blowing dandelion inspired multi-functional superhydrophobic bamboo scrimber was fabricated by spraying solution of Cu₂O nanoparticles (NPs) modified phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin, immersing ethanol solution of stearic acid, followed by growth of copper stearate nanowires. The superhydrophobic bamboo scrimber exhibited desirable chemical and mechanical durability, liquid permeability, ultraviolet resistance, self-cleaning and anti-fouling properties, as well as mold resistance. More importantly, the modified bamboo scrimber performed best humidity resistance over 136 days under relative humidity of 85 % in this field, which can be attributed to the dense nanostructure of copper stearate nanowires. Furthermore, a specific bamboo cellulose crystalline model from natural bamboo to bamboo scrimber was firstly proposed to support the improvement of hardness. This work provide an biomimetic strategy for bamboo scrimber superhydrophobic modification, and it’s also innovative to promote the high value development of biomass composites.