Superhydrophobic polyurethane and silica nanoparticles coating with high transparency and fluorescence

A superhydrophobic surface was prepared by spin-coating trimethylsiloxane functionalized SiO2 (TMS-SiO2) solutions onto a precoated polyurethane (PU) layer. The superhydrophobic coatings showed high stability with time, and the prepared coatings remained superhydrophobicity even after 6 months. Furthermore, the as-prepared surface showed high transparency with a transmittance above 70% in visible light region (400-800 nm). The transition of the composite surface from superhydrophobicity to hydrophilicity can be achieved by increasing the drying temperature. More interestingly, the surface showed excellent fluorescent property by the incorporation of fluorescent Europium (Eu) complex into the surface and without deteriorating the superhydrophobic and transparent properties. It was believed that the superhydrophobic surface with multifunction would broaden the applications of superhydrophobic materials. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013