Efficiently texturing hierarchical superhydrophobic fluoride-free translucent films by AACVD with excellent durability and self-cleaning ability

Translucent and superhydrophobic glass surfaces were fabricated by one-step deposition of a composite from the precursors, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), via aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition. A raspberry-like hierarchical structure was obtained due to the nanoparticles being decomposed by the TEOS precursor and deposited around the micro-scale particles formed by the hydrolysis of the PDMS precursor. In this work, a translucent and superhydrophobic film was prepared by using optimized parameters (T: 290–330 °C, deposition time: 15–30 min) and the resulting water contact angle and sliding angle were >160° and <1°, respectively. It was found that there were 9 bounce cycles when water droplets were dropped onto such surfaces. Superior robustness was observed against tape-peeling, and on exposure to UV light (365 nm, 3.7 mW cm−2, 72 h) and to a large pH range (pH = 1–14, 72 h). The mechanical robustness was also examined and the results demonstrated that the film loses its superhydrophobicity when abraded for 5 meters with coarse sandpaper. The self-cleaning test demonstrated that the superhydrophobic surface could shed various contaminants and aqueous dyes, leaving a clear surface behind. This novel method can be applied to various substrates, including flexible (fabric and copper mesh) and rigid materials (copper block). This can provide a new, rapid and facile route for producing large-scale samples with multifunctional applications.