Rapid Deposition of Transparent Super-Hydrophobic Layers on Various Surfaces Using Microwave Plasma

We report herein on a very fast and simple process for the fabrication of transparent superhydrophobic surfaces by using microwave (MW) plasma. It was found that the reaction of various organic liquids in MW argon plasma yields hydrophobic polymeric layers on a large assortment of surfaces, including glass, polymeric surfaces, ceramics, metals, and even paper. In most cases, these polymers are deposited as a rough layer composed of 10-15 nm nanoparticles (NPs). This roughness, together with the chemical hydrophobic nature of the coated materials, is responsible for the superhydrophobic nature of the surface. The typical reaction time of the coating procedure was 1-10 s. The stability of these superhydrophobic surfaces was examined outdoors, and was found to last 2-5 days under direct exposure to the environment and to last 2 months when the sample was protected by a quartz cover. A detailed characterization study of the chemical composition of the layers followed using XPS, solid-state NMR, and IR measurements. Modifications were introduced in the products leading to a substantial improvement in the stability of the products outdoors.