One-step facile route to fabricate functionalized nano-silica and silicone sealant based transparent superhydrophobic coating

Abstract A highly transparent and stable superhydrophobic surface was prepared on substrates of different types including tile, concrete, wood, and ferroalloy via a facile and low-cost method using hydrophobic silica nanoparticles as building blocks for construction of micro/nano-structures and neutral silicone sealant as binder. The surface wettability, morphology, topography, and transmittance was characterized by means of contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer respectively. All the as-prepared SiO2/Silicone composite coatings exhibited well water-repellency with a static water contact angle above 150° and a sliding angle below 10°. Besides, a highest average transmittance of 88.7% of the superhydrophobic coatings was obtained. The results of the performance testing showed that the superhydrophobic coatings possess good mechanical resistance to water drops, as well as excellent chemical/thermal stability and UV durability. Moreover, the method to fabricate superhydrophbic coatings on various substrates is facile and cost-effective, which provides a possibility of large-scale industrial applications.