Good Hydrophobicity Research Articles

Biomimetic construction of green, fire-proof and super-hydrophobic multifunctionality-integrated coatings via one-step spraying method for steel structures

Recently, the exposed shortcomings of steel structures containing collapse at high temperature, severe corrosion phenomenon and susceptibility to pollution have gradually restricted their widespread applications in the significant fields of national economy. Aimed at overcoming these crucial problems, this paper was inspired by the superhydrophobic phenomenon on the surface of lotus leaves that the environmental and multifunction-integrated coatings with concave-convex scale-like micro-nanostructures were fabricated via one-step spraying method. Among the chemical composition of coatings, epoxy resin (EP) and silicone resin (SR) can act as the composite binders with good adhesion and hydrophobicity for attaching the fillers to the substrates. And the fillers composed of cyclodextrin-based flame retardant (MCDPM) and expandable graphite (EG) will exert the bidirectional action in fabricating the rough surface microstructure and enhancing the fire resistance of coatings. The results have revealed that as-prepared coatings exhibit low-adhesion super-hydrophobicity with the water contact angle (WCA) of 153.9° and the water sliding angle (WSA) of 8° that will induce a series of excellent performance in self-cleaning and corrosion resistance. In addition, good chemical stability and environmental durability have been simultaneously achieved for superhydrophobic coatings. Most of all, the exceptional fire protection ability of the designed coatings has been verified. Accompanied by the advanced formation of dense, continuous and high-yield char layers, the backside temperature of coated steel plate has been reduced to 269 °C during 1 h fire burning tests, which is far less than the critical collapse temperature of bare steel structure. Accordingly, compared to EP/SR coatings, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release rate (THR) of the EP/SR-3 coatings are decreased by 68.8% and 96.6%, interpreting the intensified fire safety of coated steel structure. And the potential condensed flame-retardant mechanism has been further inferred and illustrated by systematically analyzing the combustion residue. Consequently, this paper has explored a straightforward route to address the issues of multiple defects for steel structures that extend the in-depth application in real-world fields.

Color adjustable, mechanically robust, flame-retardant and weather-resistant TiO2/MMT/CNF hierarchical nanocomposite coatings toward intelligent fire cyclic warning and protection

Fire safety and protection are very important but still show a critical global challenge. Developing smart fire warning materials with combined passive flame retardancy and active fire alarm response is promising for reducing or avoiding serious fire disasters. Various nano-fillers (e.g., graphene oxide and MXene) based composite coatings have proven to be effective for monitoring critical fire risk of various combustible materials; however, they still show some shortages, for example, high cost, black color, poor weather resistance and complicated fabricating process. Here, we report a green, cost-effective and large-scale strategy for fabricating water-based 3D-titania/2D-montmorillonite/1D-celluose nanofiber (TiO2/MMT/CNF) hierarchical nanocomposite coatings with adjustable color, mechanical robustness, good flame retardancy, long-term weather resistance and sensitive fire cyclic alarming response. The formation of strong chemical bonding and hydrogen bonding interactions among polyethylene glycol molecules and multi-scale nano-fillers together with silane surface modification can produce good mechanical flexibility (folded crane), surface hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 152°) and exceptional flame resistance (good structure integrity after 120 s flame exposure). Notably, the optimized nanocomposite coatings exhibit ultrafast fire alarm response (<3.5 s) and stable fire cyclic alarming capability via the possible band transition of the TiO2 network under flame. Further, such color-adjustable nanocomposite coatings can be easily fabricated for large-scale production, and they show excellent stable flame retardancy and stable fire cyclic warning response even after more than one-year outdoor exposure. This work provides a promising and green fire-warning nanocomposite coatings with combined passive-active functionalities for fire warning and protection.

The role of surface and structural properties on the adsorptive behavior of vinyl-methyl decorated silica aerogel-like hybrids for oil/organic solvent clean-up practices

The uncontrolled release of oil and organic solvents into aquatic environment is becoming a growing concern for ecosystems. This underscores the need for the improvement and development of efficient functional sorbents.The primary objective of this work was to design vinyl/methyl-decorated silica aerogel-like hybrids as novel adsorbents for oil and organic solvents and to uncover the relationship between the physicochemical and microstructural changes induced by organic substitution in silica backbone and the adsorption performance of these hybrids. The silica hybrids were prepared in two series through co-condensation of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) or tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). Gradual vinyl substitution was used to monitor the changes in the physicochemical and morphological properties. These changes were investigated using a variety of complementary characterizations techniques such as 29Si-MAS-NMR, and small angle neutron/X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) analyses, and basic characterization techniques like FTIR, SEM, N2 porosimetry and contact angle measurements. The results confirmed significant structural changes in VT series as VTMS content increased, while it had only a limited effect on the network formation in VM series. In the VT series, the samples exhibited predominantly mesoporous characteristics, resulting in large specific surface areas (792–1021 m2/g). In the VM-series, the samples were mostly macroporous and appeared in a sponge-like monolithic form. Successful vinyl/methyl substitution led to good hydrophobicity (up to 147°) in each series and contributed to an excellent self-cleaning ability. Thanks to their lightweight structure and hydrophobicity, the samples VT-100 and VM-50 exhibited the highest adsorption capacities (up to 11.63 g/g for VM-50 and 10.92 g/g for VT-100) for most organic pollutants and demonstrated stable performance along 10 cycles. The free-standing monolithic structure, well-developed porous network, high hydrophobicity, easy-to-clean property, and superior adsorption performance establish these materials as prime candidates for oil spill remediation practices. Additionally, their potential applications extend to various sectors, including the textile industry for protective clothing, transportation for oil spill response equipment on ships and aircraft, marine and coastal protection to prevent contamination, as green building materials to reduce maintenance needs and enhance energy efficiency, and as protective materials for cultural heritage buildings.

One-step fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibrous membranes with spider-web-like structure for high-efficiency PM0.3 capture

High-efficiency air filters are in high demand to protect human health from the threat of ultrafine particulate matters (PM). However, most commercial air filters are less effective for PM0.3 capture and/or still suffer from undesirable pressure drops. They are also typically petroleum-based. Herein, a double-jet synchronous electrospinning technology was demonstrated to fabricate spider-web-like polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibrous membranes (SPNM) in one step. The properties of spinning solutions were regulated to construct favorable multi-scale nanofiber and bead structures that mimicked the structural units in spider-webs. The as-prepared SPNM exhibited excellent filtration efficiency (99.87 %) and high quality factor (0.321 Pa−1) against the PM0.3, while presenting an attractively low pressure drop (19 Pa). Additionally, the filtration performance of SPNM was almost completely preserved during 10-cycle tests and the 6-month long-term tests, showing excellent function stability and durability. Benefiting from its good hydrophobicity (WCA = 143.2°), SPNM also presented a satisfactory filtration efficiency (>99.37 %) with low pressure drop (18 Pa) at an environment with humidity at 90 % against PM0.3. Furthermore, the unique structure increased the mechanical strength of SPNM, facilitating the processability for practical applications. Overall, this work may shed light on a promising approach for developing biomass-based, highly efficient filtration materials with hierarchical structures.

Extending the modified steel slag cement into the hydrophobic and anti-icing application

Steel slag cement is commonly used as a non-load-bearing building material because of its low long-term strength. To promote its large-scale recycling, the new application of steel slag cement is significantly attractive. In this study, a new type of hydrophobic steel slag cement modified by Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was prepared. α-C2S, β-C2S, C3A, C3S, C4AF, Aft, and CH were found in the samples by XRD. The Rietveld refinement technique was used to quantitatively analyze the content of hydration products. SEM and EDS analysis revealed the effect of PDMS and steel slag on the morphology of hydration products. The increase in the steel slag content, resulted in a smoother the surface due to the decrease in hydration products. It was found that PDMS covered the surface of hydration products, resulting in excellent hydrophobic properties. FTIR and XPS analysis showed that the main reason for the good hydrophobicity of the sample was that PDMS crosslinked on the surface of cement particles and filled the pores. With hydrophobic modification, the contact angle could reach 143.7°. The hydrophobically modified cement exhibited excellent self-cleaning ability, low water absorption, good photothermal properties, remarkable anti-icing properties, certain mechanical strength and high durability.

Organocatalyzed Photo-Controlled Synthesis of Ultrahigh-Molecular-Weight Fluorinated Alternating Copolymers.

Ultrahigh-molecular-weight (UHMW) polymers with tailored structures are highly desirable for the outstanding properties. In this work, we developed a novel photoorganocatalyzed controlled radical alternating copolymerizations of fluoroalkyl maleimide and diverse vinyl comonomers, enabling efficient preparation of fluorinated copolymers of predetermined UHMWs and well-defined structures at high conversions. Versatility of this method was demonstrated by expanding to controlled terpolymerization, which allows facial access toward fluorinated terpolymers of UHMWs and functional pendants. The obtained copolymers exhibited attractive physical properties and furnished thermoplastic, anticorrosive and (super)hydrophobic attributes as coatings on different substrates. Molecular simulations provided insights into the coating morphology, which unveiled a fluorous protective layer on the top surface with polar groups attached to the bottom substrate, resulting in good adhesion and hydrophobicity, simultaneously. This synthetic method and customized copolymers shed light on the design of high-performance coatings by macromolecular engineering.

Organocatalyzed Photo‐Controlled Synthesis of Ultrahigh‐Molecular‐Weight Fluorinated Alternating Copolymers

AbstractUltrahigh‐molecular‐weight (UHMW) polymers with tailored structures are highly desirable for the outstanding properties. In this work, we developed a novel photoorganocatalyzed controlled radical alternating copolymerizations of fluoroalkyl maleimide and diverse vinyl comonomers, enabling efficient preparation of fluorinated copolymers of predetermined UHMWs and well‐defined structures at high conversions. Versatility of this method was demonstrated by expanding to controlled terpolymerization, which allows facial access toward fluorinated terpolymers of UHMWs and functional pendants. The obtained copolymers exhibited attractive physical properties and furnished thermoplastic, anticorrosive and (super)hydrophobic attributes as coatings on different substrates. Molecular simulations provided insights into the coating morphology, which unveiled a fluorous protective layer on the top surface with polar groups attached to the bottom substrate, resulting in good adhesion and hydrophobicity, simultaneously. This synthetic method and customized copolymers shed light on the design of high‐performance coatings by macromolecular engineering.

Low dielectric constant polymers derived from bio-based anethole and isoeugenol

Starting from the natural products anethole and isoeugenol, two functional monomers with thermocrosslinkable benzocyclobutene units have been synthesized and converted into the cross-linked resins. Both of the two resins exhibit good thermostability with Tg of more than 380 °C and T5d of exceeded 440 °C and storage modulus of higher 1 GPa, as well as good dielectric constants of lower than 2.68 and dielectric loss of less than 2.1 × 10−3. Moreover, the resins also exhibit good hydrophobicity. These data indicate that the two bio-based monomers are suitable as the precursors for the application in the microelectronic industry.

Preparation and characterization of transparent polyetherketone

AbstractTransparent polymer with excellent heat resistance and mechanical properties play an important role in many fields. However, transparent polyetheretherketones films are rarely reported, probably due to their high crystallinity. In this work, a transparent polymer polyetherketone was prepared from the reaction of 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone, 2,6‐bis(4‐hydroxybenzylidene) cyclohexanone, and tert‐butylhydroquinone in the presence of K2CO3. This new polymer has excellent thermal stability, high glass transition temperature (Tg = 172°C), good film‐casting property, high transparency, good hydrophobicity, and low saturated water absorption (0.52%). The material has broad application prospects in flexible solar cells, UV protection, and thin insulation materials.

Fabrication and characterization of modified POD membranes with ultra-high tensile strength through hydrogen bonding functioning and copolymerization

A series of modified aromatic oxadiazole polymers were synthesized via condensation reactions of terephthalic dihydrazide (TPH) and varying amounts of Trimesic acid (H3BTC) in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). Pentaerythritol was introduced to construct intermolecular hydrogen bonds among polymeric chains, resulting in a three-dimensional network structure, and correlations between H-bonds and mechanic properties are discussed. Structures and mechanic properties of the polymers were characterized and analyzed. By investigation of molecular structure and membrane formation process of chemically modified and hydrogen bond-regulated polymer membranes, it was found that the modified polymer membranes retain the unique thermal stability, chemical stability, and good hydrophobicity of the POD rigid polymer. Additionally, hydrogen bonds not only significantly improve the overall quality of the membrane, but also play an important role in enhancing the mechanical properties of the membrane, as demonstrated in the highest observed of up to a maximum of 167.19 MPa. Furthermore, impact of H3BCT modification on light absorption and fluorescence performance of T-PODx is also analyzed and discussed in this paper.

Mechanically robust, compressible, and photothermal silane/reduced graphene oxide modified plant fiber sponge for highly efficient cleanup of crude oil spill

Developing solar-assisted self-heating hydrophobic absorbents for efficient cleanup of viscous crude oil spills is attracting attention. However, using a simple, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication approach to prepare solar-heating absorbent remains a big challenge. Due to the viscosity of crude oil can enormously decrease with increasing temperature, the self-heating absorbent which can in-situ raise the temperature to decrease the viscosity of crude oil shows potential application in accelerating the absorption and recovery of crude oil. Here, a hydrophobic and photothermal reduced graphene oxide and hexamethyldisilane synergistically modified plant fiber sponge (PFS@rGO@HMDS) is developed by an easy and efficient mechanical foaming strategy combined with in-situ vapor and thermal reduction treatment. The obtained PFS@rGO@HMDS exhibits good hydrophobicity (135° in water contact angle), excellent mechanical compressibility and durability, high solar absorption (>97.84 %), and oil absorptive capacity (27.3–52.0 g/g). Benefiting from the excellent photothermal conversion capacity, the surface temperature at the equilibrium of PFS@rGO@HMDS can reach 71.2 °C under 1 sun irradiation to reduce the viscosity of crude oil and realize the rapid crude oil spill remediation. The PFS@rGO@HMDS also can be used in a continual absorbent system to accomplish the ongoing and quick repair of viscous oil spills from the seawater surface, showcasing its enormous potential for use in huge-scale oil spill clean-up and recovery.

Influence of Pyrolysis Temperature and Time on Biochar Properties and Its Potential for Climate Change Mitigation

The thermochemical conversion of disposable bamboo chopstick (DBC) wastes into biochar is a practical strategy for converting waste into resources. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pyrolysis temperature and holding time on the physicochemical properties of DBC biochar and its potential for climate change mitigation. Properties affecting the biochar efficiency and potential for application were analyzed: moisture content (MC), volatile matter (VM), fixed carbon (FC), ash, pH, and carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O) content. Six different pyrolysis conditions were studied, with temperatures of 400 °C, 450 °C, and 500 °C and holding times of 20 and 60 min, at a constant heating rate. The results demonstrated that temperature and holding time significantly affected the physicochemical properties and performance of the biochar. Increases in %C, %FC, %N, and pH and reductions in %MC, %VM, %H, and %O were found when the temperature was increased at different holding times. The aromaticity increased and the polarity decreased significantly with increasing temperature and holding time. The results showed that temperature interacts significantly with holding time, and these two factors jointly affect the contents of MC, ash, FC, C, H, N, and O (R2 of 0.997) and pH (R2of 0.999). The DBC biochar obtained via pyrolysis at 450 °C and 500 °C for 20 and 60 min could be applied for climate change mitigation. The best DBC biochar was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C and a holding time of 20 min. This biochar showed good hydrophobicity, tremendous stability, the highest C (88.06%) and FC (76.49%) values, and the lowest ash (2.62%) and VM (19.23%) contents. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-04-07 Full Text: PDF

Antibacterial, antioxidant and fruit packaging ability of biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan composite film

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by loading Ag+ into biochar of waste barley distillers' grains shell by reduction with trisodium citrate, and this silver-loaded biochar was introduced into polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan. Various analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis, and water contact angle revealed that biochar-based silver nanoparticle was incorporated into the polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan film, the biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan (C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS) composite film had good thermostability and hydrophobicity. Through the analysis via disk diffusion method, the composite containing 3 % of biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan had high antibacterial activity (inhibition zone: 18 mm against E. coli and 15 mm against S. aureus), and the bacterial membrane permeability was measured, indicating that C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS composite film could destroy the cell membrane, release intracellular substances, and have high antioxidant activity. During the storage, the weight loss rate of the biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan plastic wrap group was 0.14 %, and the titratable acid content only decreased by 0.061 %, which had a good effect on extending the shelf life of blueberries. The C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS composite film could also delay deterioration of blueberries and prolong storage time. Overall, this composite film had potential in food packaging and extending food shelf-life aspects.

Adjustable Plane Curvature of Covalent Organic Framework Enabling Outstanding Dielectric, Electret, and High‐Temperature Processing Properties

AbstractWith the rapid development of integrated circuits towards miniaturization and complexity, there is an urgent need for materials with low dielectric constant/loss and high processing temperatures to effectively prevent signal delay and crosstalk. With high porosity, thermal stability, and easy structural modulation, covalent organic frameworks have great potential in the field of low dielectric materials. However, the optimization of dielectric properties by modulating the conjugated/plane curvature structure of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) has rarely been reported. Accordingly, we herein innovatively prepare COF films with adjustable planar curvature, hence possessing ultralow dielectric constant (1.9 at 1 kHz), ultralow dielectric loss at 1 kHz (0.0029 at room temperature, 0.0052 at 200 °C), high thermal decomposition temperature (5 % weight loss temperature, 473 °C) and good hydrophobicity (water contact angle, 105.3°). Also, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report that the resulting COF film enables high surface potential (≈320 V) for one week, attributing to its intrinsic high porosity, thus presenting great potential in electret applications. Accordingly, this innovative work provides a readily available and scalable idea to prepare materials with comprehensively excellent dielectric and electret properties as well as high processing temperatures simultaneously for advanced electronic device applications.

Facile fabrication of waterborne polyurethane coatings with good hydrophobicity and antifouling properties by leveraging fluorinated polysiloxane

The unsatisfactory water and fouling resistance of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coatings have significantly hampered their practical applications. Herein, a simple strategy to prepare a novel industrial WPU hydrophobicity and antifouling coating (FSiWPU) was employed. The FSiWPU coating was prepared by a facile polycondensation reaction to introduce hydroxyl-terminated siloxane fluoride (HTFSi) into polyether-type WPU. The study demonstrated that the coating material exhibited excellent hydrophobicity (with a water contact angle of 107.9°), water resistance (with a water absorption of 8.7 %) and considerable mechanical strength (35.6 MPa). More importantly, due to the surface enrichment of low-surface-energy HTFSi chain segments, the coating exhibited excellent antifouling and substrate shielding protection against various contaminating liquids and corrosive chemicals. The approach provided a promising candidate for the large-scale production and practical application of waterproof and anti-fouling waterborne polyurethane coatings.

Electrically conductive bamboo charcoal@cellulose nanofibrils based composite membranes designed for electromagnetic interference shielding and flame retardant

Recently, developing multifunctional biochar based materials has been concerned by experts and scholars, but the weak electrical conductivity of biochar itself will limit its application. Targeting this issue, electrically conductive bamboo charcoal (EBC) was constructed for catalytic carbonization by mixing ferric chloride with bamboo charcoal, followed by mixing cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) as the skeleton and a small amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as the conductive enhancer to constract a conductive EBC@CNF@MWCNT composite aerogel by freeze drying. Subsequently, the aerogel was soaked with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and hot pressed into a membrane. In the system, EBC and MWCNT were distributed uniformly in the CNF skeleton to form three-dimensional conducting network, the obtained conductive E @ CNF@M@PDMS composite membrane displayed excellent conductivity (47 S/m) and remarkable EMI shielding performance (39.5 dB, absorption loss of about 75%), as well as good flame retardant ability (LOI of 27.6%) and hydrophobicity (115.4°). Based on its outstanding properties and simple preparation, it is considered to provide a new strategy for developement of environmentally friendly multifunctional biochar based materials.

UV-assisted stabilization of superhydrophobic nanofibrous membranes for waterproof, breathable and thermal insulation applications

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/polyurethane (PU)/hydrophobic silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanofibrous membranes were prepared by electrospinning combined with a UV-induced stabilization method. The PAN/PU/SiO2 membranes possessed excellent self-cleaning performance because the introduction of SiO2 nanoparticles endowed the nanofibrous membranes with high surface roughness and good hydrophobicity. In addition, SiO2 nanoparticles could also promote the waterproof performance of nanofibrous membranes because hydrophobicity improved and pore size decreased with the increase of SiO2 content. Water vapor transmission rate of the membranes decreased from 10.8 to 9.2 kg m−2 d−1 with increasing of SiO2 concentration because SiO2 nanoparticles could fill the spaces among the adjacent nanofibers. Reflectance to sunlight of the PAN/PU/SiO2 membrane was much higher than that of the PAN/PU membrane, indicating an obvious radiative cooling effect due to loading of SiO2 nanoparticles. This facile fabrication of fluorine-free superhydrophobic membranes provides advantages for potential applications in self-cleaning materials and versatile protective clothing.

Three-dimensional hydrophobic melamine@methyl trichlorosilane/polydimethylsiloxane sponge for consecutive and long-term oil/water separation

Herein, a melamine sponge is adopted as the skeleton to be modified by both methyl trichlorosilane (MTS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on the surface, fabricating the 3D porous Mel@MTS/PDMS sponge. Systemic investigations reveal that MTS self-assembles into many micro-nano particles to roughen the surface of the melamine matrix, thus greatly increasing its hydrophobicity. PDMS tightly anchors those MTS particles via forming a surface coating. Therefore, the resultant Mel@MTS/PDMS sponge exhibits the superior oil-adsorbed capacity, good hydrophobicity, and great structural and mechanical stability. Based on this Mel@MTS/PDMS sponge, a consecutive oil/water separation system is successfully built and induces the continuous recovery of oil under various simulated oil–water separation conditions. Obviously, this 3D hydrophobic Mel@MTS/PDMS sponge and corresponding consecutive oil/water separation device provide a promising application strategy in the leaked oil recovery and environmental purification.

Preparation of dual-functional packaging films containing green tea essential oil microcapsules for strawberry preservation: Excellent barrier properties and antioxidant activity

In this study, gelatin (GEL)/chitosan (CS)/green tea essential oil microcapsule (GTOM) films were prepared by casting to investigate their physicochemical properties and effectiveness in preserving fresh strawberries. GTOM at a maximum content of 30% (based on the total solid mass of GEL-CS) was also well dispersed in the CS and GEL matrix. The results showed that the incorporation of GTOM imparted excellent blocking properties of the films against UV–visible light (transparency and opacity at 600 nm of 35.47% and 7.47, respectively), decent mechanical properties (tensile strength up to 11.08 MPa), good antioxidant properties (60% scavenging activity against DPPH) and satisfactory safety (96.94%). After 7 d of storage at 25 °C, packed strawberries showed the water loss of GTOM-3 compared to polystyrene preservative films (PPF) was reduced to 31.2%, and the hardness was maintained at 3.01 N, showing excellent freshness retention and effectively reducing the loss of nutritional value of strawberries. In addition, the film exhibited good hydrophobicity and inherent biocompatibility, and these results indicate the remarkable potential of the new film for application, making it a promising high-performance preservation material.

Superhydrophobic fluorescent micro-/nano-composites from carbon dots encapsulated in CaCO3-SiO2

ABSTRACT In this paper, polyamine-functionalized carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by means of low temperature (<100°C) carbonization of citric acid at the presence of polyethylenimine (PEI), resulting spherical calcium carbonate micro-particles from inverse micro-emulsion system. Nanoscaled spherical silicas were prepared by Stöber method via deposition on the surface of micron calcium carbonate. Scanning- and transmission-electron microscopic analysis confirmed a micro-/nano-complex structure, enabling the composite material coating possessed coarser surface similar to those of ‘lotus leaf’. After modification with 1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H-perfluorodecanethiol, both good super hydrophobicity and good fluorescent performance were confirmed by the water contact angle of 154.1°±1.5°, their surface-free energy, and fluorescence quantum yield of 14.1%, which provides an inexpensive and easy way to fabricate superhydrophobic material with fluorescence characteristics and promotes high value application of inorganic materials.