Production of an EP/PDMS/SA/AlZnO Coated Superhydrophobic Surface through an Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Process

Abstract

In this study, a superhydrophobic coating on glass has been prepared through a single-step aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) process. During the process, an aerosolized precursor containing polydimethylsiloxane, epoxy resin, and stearic acid functionalized Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles was deposited onto the glass at 350 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy showed that the precursor was successfully coated and formed a nano/microstructure (surface roughness: 378.0 ± 46.1 nm) on the glass surface. The coated surface had a water contact angle of 159.1 ± 1.2°, contact angle hysteresis of 2.2 ± 1.7°, and rolling off-angle of 1°, indicating that it was superhydrophobic. In the self-cleaning test of the coated surface at a tilted angle of 20°, it was shown that water droplets rolled and washed out dirt on the surface. The stability tests showed that the surface remained superhydrophobic after 120 h of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and even after heat exposure at 350 °C. In addition, the surface was highly repellent to water solutions of pH 1-13. The results showed that the addition of the functionalized nanoparticles into the precursor allowed for the control of surface roughness and provided a simplified single-step fabrication process of the superhydrophobic surface. This provides valuable information for developing the manufacturing process for superhydrophobic surfaces.