Facile creation of superhydrophobic surface with fluorine–silicon polymer under ambient atmosphere

Abstract

A fluorine–silicon polymer of poly(styrene-co-1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl methacrylate-co-vinyltriethoxysilane) (PSFV) was synthesized by bulk polymerization, and superhydrophobic surfaces were subsequently fabricated utilizing phase separation technique in one step by casting PSFV copolymer solution under ambient atmosphere. The PSFV copolymer was dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF), and then ethanol was added into the solution to induce phase separation. The surface morphologies of the copolymer films were controlled by the degree of phase separation, which could be tuned easily by the ethanol/THF volume ratio and the solution’s initial concentration. Scanning electron microscopy observations indicated that the superhydrophobic copolymer film had a rough surface with a binary hierarchical structure. A brief explanation of the formation of the special microstructure was put forward. The water contact angle and sliding angle of the superhydrophobic PSFV surface were measured as 162° and 4°, respectively. The simplicity of the operation’s process might make the superhydrophobic surface potentially useful in a variety of applications.