Abstract The energy performance of nanothermites in aqueous conditions is commonly restricted by the rapid heat dissipation and corrosion of nano-Al. Here we report studies on the fabrication and submerged… Click to show full abstract
Abstract The energy performance of nanothermites in aqueous conditions is commonly restricted by the rapid heat dissipation and corrosion of nano-Al. Here we report studies on the fabrication and submerged ignition for the super-hydrophobic nanothermite film based upon the Co3O4/Al core/shell nanowires (NWs). The Co3O4 NWs arrays, which are synthesized using a facile hydrothermal-annealing method, serve as templates for the deposition of Al shells by magnetron sputtering. The super-hydrophobic surface is subsequently realized by the fluoroalkylsilane coating. The tests of the laser-induced underwater ignition reveal that the super-hydrophobic modification effectively could lead to the ignition of the nanothermite film. Furthermore, the anti-aging behaviors of the obtained super-hydrophobic nanothermite film in aqueous conditions are investigated in detail to compare the heat-release and ignition characteristics at different submersion times. Impressively, the resultant super-hydrophobic composite could still hold about 50% of the original energy even after an underwater storage of 2 days.
               
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