Multifunctional Superhydrophobic Surfaces Based on Silica - Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles

Abstract

We simply fabricated superhydrophobic surfaces showing cost-effective, transparency and high mechanical property using silica？polymer core？shell structure. After synthesized silica particles, various monomers such as styrene and tert-butylacrylate for cost-effective, Zonyl for transparency, UV-curable monomer for high mechanical property were polymerized on modified silica particles by radical polymerization process. All substrates coated by composite particles exhibited superhydrophobicity with high water contact angle and low sliding contact angle. In addition, the transmittance of Zonyl composite films was 89% which is highest transmittance among the transparent superhydrophobic surfaces that used polymer for low surface energy material. The UV curable polymer composites films showed the good mechanical property that endures the 6H pencil hardness. With superhydrophobicity, highly optical transmittance and mechanical property, these films have various applications in not only display, solar cell, and TFT such as electronic devices but also window, paint and so on.