Facile fabrication of a lotus-effect composite coating via wrapping silica with polyurethane

A lotus-effect coating was fabricated by wrapping micro-silica and nano-silica with polyurethane (PU) and subsequent spraying. The coating shows the similar self-cleaning property as lotus leaves: the contact angle is as large as 168 degrees and the sliding angle is as low as 0.5 degrees. Surface morphology of the coating was studied with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The composite coating shows the similar structure as lotus leaves. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.