Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Coating by Spraying PDMS-SiO2 Suspension for Self-Cleaning Application

Superhydrophobic surfaces that mimic lotus leaf surfaces have been widely studied due to their unique self-cleaning ability. Herein, we have fabricated a self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on a glass substrate using the facile sol-gel spray coating method. The silica particles were synthesized via the sol-gel method in acidic conditions. A self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating was achieved by spraying a suspension of synthesized SiO2 particles and PDMS on a glass substrate at room temperature. The incorporation of SiO2 particles in the PDMS matrix resulted in the formation of a rough structure on the glass surface. This surface exhibited excellent superhydrophobic properties with a high water contact angle (WCA) of 154° and a low sliding angle (SA) of 4°. In addition, the prepared samples showed strong mechanical resistance against various tests such as multiple adhesive tape peeling, sandpaper abrasion, and pencil hardness. As a result, the developed superhydrophobic coating holds great potential for self-cleaning applications on a larger scale.