Since its invention invented in China, paper has been widely used in the world for quite a long time. However, some intrinsic defects servely hinder its application in some extreme conditions, such as underwater or in fire. Herein, a bio-inspired durable paper with robust fluorine-free coatings was fabricated via a two-step spray-deposition technique. It not only consisted of modified SiO2 microspheres and nanoparticles, but also contained an epoxy resin, endowing the paper with multifunctional properties. First, this bio-inspired functional paper showed excellent superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties with a high static water contact angle (WCA) of 162.7 +/- 0.5 degrees and a low sliding angle (SA) of 5.7 +/- 0.6 degrees. Moreover, it possessed unusual repellent properties toward multiple aqueous-based liquids and heat-insulated properties. Second, this paper could be used for writing underwater and maintained satisfactory superhydrophobic performance for a long time with a WCA of 153.3 +/- 1.8 degrees. Besides, its high mechanical robustness was also experimentally confirmed in harsh working conditions, such as strong acid/alkali, boiling water, abrasion, bending, and folding. Compared with conventional paper, it is anticipated that this bio-inspired functional paper would be really competitive and demonstrate great potential in the field of underwater and fire-proof applications.
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