Preparation and physical properties of superhydrophobic papers

In this study, we developed a facile method for preparing a superhydrophobic paper surface using a multi-layer deposition of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (polyDADMAC) and silica particles, followed by a fluorination surface treatment with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS, CF3(CF2)(5)CH2CH2Si(OC2H5)(3)). The superhydrophobic wood fiber products prepared in this study have contact angles Of Water greater than 150 degrees and sliding angles less than 5 degrees. Besides their high water repelling property, the superhydrophobic paper products kept a high tensile strength at high relative humidity condition. The superhydrophobic paper products also showed high resistance to bacterial contamination. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.