Robust multifunctional superhydrophobic coatings with enhanced water/oil separation, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-biological adhesion

In this study, superhydrophobic and transparent siloxane-based nanocomposites have been synthesized. The as-synthesized superhydrophobic nanoparticles reveal uniform particle size distribution and high dispersibility in alcohol solvents which can be easily integrated into solution-process. Further improvement of superhydrophobicity of this composite is achieved by the chemical modification with fluorosilane. The cast hybrid surface reveals superhydrophobic (water contact angle (WCA) = 168°), non-stick and transparent properties (90% at 550 nm) on a variety of substrates. As a result, the as-prepared superhydrophobic coating shows outstanding water/oil separation, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion and anti-adhesion of bacteria and algae. Moreover, the superhydrophobic coating can remain its extreme water repellency without obvious decay of WCA after weathering resistance test for 90 days. It is believed that the facile and low-cost method offers an effective strategy and promising industrial applications for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces.