Abstract
In this present work, a superhydrophobic glass surface comprising zinc oxide nanotriangles (ZnO-nt) and nontoxic silylating agent was developed via a cost-effective spray-coating technology. ZnO-nt was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDEOS) were used as nontoxic (nonfluoro) silylating agents. The morphology and crystallinity of ZnO-nt were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. ZnO-nt with polymeric silane (PDMS) exhibited maximum wettability as compared to nonpolymeric silane (DMDEOS). The water contact angle (WCA), sliding angle (SA), and surface roughness of ZnO-nt/PDMS-coated glass substrate under UV treatment were 165 ± 1°, 3 ± 1°, and 791 nm, respectively. The WCA of ZnO-nt/PDMS was higher (165°) than that of commercial ZnO/PDMS (ZnO-C/PDMS). ZnO-nt/PDMS was strongly attached to the glass substrate with good stability and adhesion. The reasons for improved hydrophobicity, adhesion, and mechanism of hierarchical microstructure formation on the glass substrate were explained in detail. PDMS was attached to the glass substrate via hydrogen bonds from solvated zinc acetate.
Highlights
In recent years, there is tremendous interest for surfaces that are extremely repellent to water droplets
The hydrophobic solution was maintained at a temperature in the range of 70–80°C, the substrate was heated to 150°C prior to spraying process, and it was cured at 130°C for 24 h
The major diffraction peaks of ZnO-C and zinc oxide nanotriangles (ZnO-nt) are perfectly matched with the standard JCPDS pattern (36-1451) [36]
Summary
There is tremendous interest for surfaces that are extremely repellent to water droplets. The minimal contact of water on such surfaces makes them appealing for a variety of applications such as self-cleaning [1], anti-icing [2], anticorrosion [3], water harvesting [4], and antibacterial coating [5]. These surfaces are called as superhydrophobic with a water contact angle (WCA) higher than 150° and a sliding angle (SA) lower than 10° [6]. The recent research works have been focused on the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces using inexpensive raw materials, nontoxic surface modifiers, and convenient spray-coating technique.
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