Silicone Nanofilaments and Their Application as Superhydrophobic Coatings

Abstract

Silicone nanofilaments (see figure) are grown by a simple chemical vapor deposition method on different substrate materials. The filaments are flexible, and have lengths of up to several micrometers and diameters of up to 150 nm. The dense and entangled arrangement of these filaments yields a superhydrophobic coating that is also optically transparent and antireflective.

Superamphiphobic surfaces

“…[20][21][22]  SA becomes impractical when macroscopically rough 85 substrates such as cotton fabrics and wools are measured. 19 In order to characterize the superhydrophobicity of a macroscopically textile, a new technique named shedding angle was developed recently. 14 In essence, a water drop of defined volume is released onto the substrate from a defined height.…”

“…29 With this technique, 9,14,15,19,29,30 a dense SNF layer can be grown on various substrates, including glass, silicon, ceramics, Titanium, Aluminium, cotton fabrics, silk, wood, polyethylene, and so on, by either gas 19,30 or liquid (wet toluene) 9 55 phase deposition of trichloromethylsilane (TCMS) in the presence of a trace amount of water (ca. 50 ppm to 200 ppm) 9 at room temperature (Fig.…”

A superoleophobic textile repellent towards impacting drops of alkanes

“…The detailed procedure for gas phase coating with silicone nanofilaments is described in the literature [5,6]. In brief: The polyester fabric was cut into pieces of approx.…”

“…Some years ago, silicone nanofilaments (SNF) including a technique for applying them as coating have been developed in our group [5,18]. The coated surfaces exhibit pronounced superhydrophobic properties [6,19].…”

“…Water-repellent surfaces and also textiles have been developed during the last fifteen years [1][2][3][4][5][6]. With respect to e. g. fatty and oily substances in food manufacture or lubricants and fuels in engineering technology oleophobic materials are just as desirable as hydrophobic ones.…”