Transparent, Thermally Stable and Mechanically Robust Superhydrophobic Surfaces Made from Porous Silica Capsules

摘要

Superhydrophobic surfaces are advantageous for a cost-effective maintenance of a variety of surfaces.'1"4' The combination of micro and nano-sized roughness increases the contact angle of water such that water droplets cannot adhere but roll off.[5,6] Therefore, superhydrophobic coatings are self-cleaning and anticorrosive. Lately, many artificial surfaces have been inves tigated with regard to their wetting dynamics[7-10] as well as their chemical, mechanical,[11-13] and thermal stability.[14] If the superhydrophobic surface were even transparent, the range of possible applications could be expanded to glass-based substrates such as goggles or windshields[15-18] and, equally important, prevent an efficiency degradation of solar cells by pollution accumulation.[19-21] Clearly, the coatings must be easy to fabricate, mechanically resistant, and long-term stable. So far, none of the existing methods fulfilled all these requirements.