近日科罗拉多州立大学（Colorado State University，简称CSU）的科研人员报道使用经美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）认证的食品级蜂蜡等材料制备了一种安全无毒的超疏水防粘涂层。当这种涂层用在食品包装材料表面时，可以将里面的液体食品一滴不剩地倒出来。如下演示，含有这种涂层的杯子可以快速地将液滴一滴不剩倒出来，而没有加这种涂层的杯子很难将油干干净净完全倒出。
此前有不少超疏水涂层报道，但是大部分都不能应用在食品材料上，因为目前的超疏水涂层常常涉及含氟材料或者其它未经生物安全性认证的材料。因此CSU的科研人员开始寻找更安全的防粘涂层材料替代物，研究发现了蜂蜡和棕榈蜡的疏水性能，由此借助这些材料制成的新型不粘涂层具有安全无毒可食用的优点。研究人员已经在塑料杯瓶中应用新型涂层，并取得了非常好的效果。显示利普顿绿茶、佳得乐、煎饼糖浆、巧克力糖浆、可乐等液体均无法粘在这种涂层上，每一滴液体均能够在杯体中滴出。据了解，这种涂层有望商业化得到更广泛的应用。
参考文献：Superhydrophobic Coatings with Edible Materials，ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2016, 8 (29), pp 18664–18668. We used FDA-approved, edible materials to fabricate superhydrophobic coatings in a simple, low cost, scalable, single step process. Our coatings display high contact angles and low roll off angles for a variety of liquid products consumed daily and facilitate easy removal of liquids from food containers with virtually no residue. Even at high concentrations, our coatings are nontoxic, as shown using toxicity tests.
微信回复“超疏水”可阅读更多精彩内容
以下是来自Colorado State University网站对上述材料的介绍：
When we reach the end of a ketchup bottle, there’s always a little left, stuck to the sides. A Colorado State University lab offers a fix: a nontoxic, nonstick coating that lets loose every last drop.
Materials scientists led by Arun Kota, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering, have created a “superhydrophobic” coating that easily slicks away viscous liquids like syrup, honey and ketchup. That’s right – never waste ketchup or maple syrup again.
They detail the engineering feat in Applied Materials and Interfaces, published by the American Chemical Society. The paper describes synthesizing and testing coatings made from beeswax and carnauba wax, which are edible and nontoxic.
Nontoxic coatings
Superhydrophobic coatings are not new, but they’re typically fabricated with fluorocarbons. These materials, while generally safe in low doses, are labeled as “emerging contaminants” because of their potential decomposition into perfluorooctanoic acid, a known human toxin, according to the paper. The use of coatings in food-related applications is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA recently banned three perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are used in food packaging for grease-proofing pizza boxes and other items.
“Companies are very specific about toxicity levels in these products, which is why they don’t get into the market very easily,” Kota said of hydrophobic coatings.
Kota’s research lab pushes the boundaries of novel coatings with superior properties, including superomniphobicity. For this latest project, they set out to make a simple, nontoxic, extremely liquid-repellant coating specifically for, but not limited to, food packaging.
Beeswax
One of Kota’s students came up with the idea of trying to make such a coating out of beeswax. Its chemical properties are similar to non-sticky fluorocarbons, but even at extremely high doses, they are safe to ingest. The researchers came up with a way to spray the coating onto a surface by first dissolving the wax.
Their coating allows a wide range of aqueous liquids to bounce and roll away. They tested a long list of substances, including Lipton green tea, Gatorade, pancake syrup, Coca-Cola, orange juice, milk and coffee. They used common polystyrene cups for their demos.
There is room for improvement in the mechanical durability of their coatings, which currently can’t withstand harsh and abrasive environments, according to the paper.
资料来源：colostate.edu，仅供学习参考。