Silica/silicone nanofilament hybrid coatings with almost perfect superhydrophobicity

A facile method for the preparation of silica/silicone nanofilament hybrid coatings with almost perfect superhydrophobicity (contact angle=179.8° and sliding angle=1.3°) is presented. The coatings are obtained by dip-coating of silica nanoparticles, followed by chemical vapor deposition of silicone nanofilaments. Predominant growth of silicone nanofilaments onto aggregated silica nanoparticles generates a two-tier structure. The effect of silica nanoparticle size on the growth of silicone nanofilaments, along with their anti-wetting properties and transparency are investigated in detail. Surface roughness and anti-wetting properties can be simply regulated by controlling the size of silica nanoparticles.