Superhydrophobic and self-cleaning bio-fiber surfaces via ATRP and subsequent postfunctionalization

Superhydrophobic and self-cleaning cellulose surfaces have been obtained via surface-confined grafting of glycidyl methacrylate using atom transfer radical polymerization combined with postmodification reactions. Both linear and branched graft-on-graft architectures were used for the postmodification reactions to obtain highly hydrophobic bio-fiber surfaces by functionalization of the grafts with either poly(dimethylsiloxane), perfluorinated chains, or alkyl chains, respectively. Postfunctionalization using alkyl chains yielded results similar to those of surfaces modified by perfluorination, in terms of superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning properties, and the stability of these properties over time. In addition, highly oleophobic surfaces have been obtained when modification with perfluorinated chains was performed.