Superhydrophobic Coating Based on Functionalized SiO2 Nanoparticles for Self-Cleaning and Anti-Icing
摘要
Developing transparent and superhydrophobic coatings is challenging due to their conflicting properties, which often require expensive materials and limit their application to a laboratory scale. In this study, we attempted to create a low-cost transparent superhydrophobic coating using a combination of silica nanoparticles and PMMA resin. SiO2 nanoparticles were produced using the sol–gel technique and functionalized using MTES to lower their surface energy. The hydrophobic nanoparticles were mixed with a PMMA solution and deposited onto a glass substrate using a centrifuge and immersion method. The resulting coating had a transmittance of over 79% in the visible spectrum, a contact angle of over 150°, a slip angle of 2°, and advanced self-cleaningSelf-cleaning capabilities. The coating also demonstrated strong thermal stability and UV resistance. PMMA’s low cost makes it a potential candidate for producing transparent superhydrophobic coatings with other polymers in perspective.