Superhydrophobic silica nanocomposite coating by a low-temperature process

We successfully prepared transparent and durable superhydrophobic silica-coating films on cotton substrates at low temperatures. The coatings were produced via cohydrolysis and polycondensation of a hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), tetraethoxyorthosilcate (TEOS), and 3-glycidyl-oxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) mixture. The hydrophobic properties of the nanocomposite coatings were determined using contact-angle and water-gain measurements. The water contact angle for the coated substrates was 141degrees, whereas, before coating, the contact angle was 0degrees because of the superhydrophilic nature of cotton. The nanocomposite coating has new applications in daily used materials, especially those with low heat resistance, such as textiles and plastics, and as an environmentally friendly water-repellent substitute for fluorine compounds.