Fabrication of super-hydrophobic surfaces with long-term stability

Abstract

A novel approach was proposed to fabricate super-hydrophobic surfaces by depositing aggregates of fumed silica modified with hydroxy-terminated poly-dimethylsioxane and γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane on surfaces of glass plates. The glass plates were treated with 2,3-epoxy propoxy propyltrimethoxysilicane based on an epoxy-amine system in advance. Aggregates of fumed silica were found to be chemically bonded to the treated glass surfaces and a surface possessing dual micron- and nanoscale hierarchical structures was observed on the super-hydrophobic surfaces. The laboratory testing results showed that the obtained surfaces possessed long-term superhydrophobicity in air and maintained its super-hydrophobicity over a wide pH range. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.